Dutee Chand, dropped by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on the basis of a hyperandrogenism test, is uncertain about her future but continues to practise at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar in the hope of making a comeback soon.
“I want to be back on the track and win medals for the country,” Dutee told The Hindu on Saturday. Dutee, who failed the test owing to the presence of a high level of androgen, was unable to take part in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
“She may not be taking part even at the Incheon Asian Games, which is sad. She is penalised for the high-level generation of androgen in the human body which is natural,” said Nagapuri Ramesh, national sprint coach from Patiala.
Ramesh, Dutee’s personal coach, played a crucial role in grooming the junior athlete’s career for three years. He used to spend around eight to 10 hours honing her skills.
Ramesh said the junior Asian champion’s case was referred to the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) and, based on its observation, Dutee’s future would be reviewed. Dutee is under the care of the Odisha government, which is seeking medical intervention to reduce the androgen level. “Once it (androgen) is at the specified level she can take part in the events,” Ramesh added.
Several coaches and sports physicians felt that injustice had been done, and slammed SAI’s short-sighted policy of preferring pharmacology to biology thus destroying a promising career.
SAI has washed its hands off the episode saying it had conducted the test which measures the hormone levels as stipulated by IAAF and the International Olympic Council.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently felicitated Dutee and awarded Rs. 3 lakh for her performance in the junior Asian athletics championship in Chinese Taipei recently in which she won golds in the 200m and 4x400 relay.
