My sole focus is on my game, asserts Dutee Chand
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Dutee Chand has revealed that she is solely focused on her game and not on issues outside of athletics after her gold medal win in the 100m race at the World University Games. Chand added that she is totally motivated on achieving the Olympic mark of 11.15s in the next six months.
Dutee Chand’s name was all over the news after she scripted history by bagging a gold medal in the 100m race at the World University Games recently. The under-fire Indian sprinter said the victory was in response to all the criticism she faced for expressing herself on a certain issue.
On July 10, Dutee clocked 11.32 seconds to clinch gold at the World University Games in Naples which meant that she is now the second Indian sprinter to win a gold in an international event after Hima Das. Das had earlier finished on top in 400m at the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.
"There has been several controversies in my life since 2014. They (people) spoke against me after which I answered them with my show in Rio Olympics. Even now they were saying that I am not focusing on my game, but see, my medal gave them the answer. My sole focus is on my game," Chand told IANS.
The youngster has set her sights on achieving the Olympic qualifying mark in the remainder of the 2019 season. She had participated in the Rio Olympics earlier in 2016 and would be looking forward to bettering her performance at the Games in Tokyo next year.
"The World University Games and Olympics are pretty similar as the competition is very high. World's best athletes participate in World University Games, which makes it even more difficult. I am yet to achieve the Olympic qualifying mark, which is 11.15 seconds, but I have 6-7 months time and hope to achieve it with constant support.
"I always believe in training outside the nation. I also need good diet and nutrition which are lacking. If all these things fall in place, I could certainly perform even better and qualify for the Tokyo Games. This year has been going well for me. I will soon figure out how much support I need from the government and the corporates. The Odisha government has assured me every possible help and I have even handed my budget to them. I just need their green signal," Chand, who became the first Indian ever to win a gold in the 100m event at a global meet, the Odisha athlete added.
