Khelo India University Games: Dutee Chand wins gold in 100m dash
The Tokyo Olympian is yet to achieve the qualification standards for Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
India’s ace sprinter Dutee Chand won the gold medal in the women’s 100m race at the ongoing Khelo India University Games 2021 in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Dutee Chand, an Asian Games silver medallist, clocked 11.68 seconds, which was far from her personal best and national record of 11.17 seconds she achieved at the Indian Grand Prix IV at Patiala last year.
At the last edition of KIUG, Dutee Chand had won the 100m race in 11.49 seconds to set a national university record.
Dutee Chand, representing Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) at KIUG 2021, finished ahead of Savitribai Phule Pune University’s Avantika Narale, who clocked 11.81 seconds, and Jambeshwari University’s Preeti Guru, who ran in 11.83 seconds.
Dutee Chand is yet to meet the qualification standards set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the Commonwealth Games (11.31s) and the Asian Games (11.36s), scheduled to be held later this year.
In the 2022 season so far, Dutee, a Tokyo Olympian, won her 100m run at the national inter-university championships in 11.44 seconds in February followed by gold at the Federation Cup in 11.49 seconds last month.
With Dutee Chand’s gold, KIIT University climbed up to the 25th spot in the KIUG 2021 medals table with five medals - two golds, one silver and two bronze. KIIT’s first four medals came in weightlifting.
Jain University – with 16 gold, six silver and five bronze medals – are on top of the Khelo India University Games leaderboard.