World Athletics Championships 2019: Dutee Chand training at night to prepare for global meet in Doha

New Delhi: India's 100m sprinter Dutee Chand will be boarding the flight on Sunday to Doha to take part in the World Athletics Championships. The 23-year-old athlete received an invite from IAAF to participate at the world meet after she could not achieve the qualification mark for the event. However, Dutee is now looking forward to the event where she will be aiming to better her timing and win a medal.

She may be the fastest Indian women currently, but one of the major hurdles for her is to be faster than her current best performance, which is 11.24 seconds. The qualification mark for Olympics in 11.15 seconds and Dutee hopes to improve on that.

File image of Indian track star Dutee Chand. Reuters

She told reporters in Delhi a day before leaving for Doha, "It is a difficult task, I know. My personal best is 11.24. I have in my hands eight and a half months to do special training and qualify for the Games. I am just following the coach's training schedule these days with the Olympic aim in my mind."

Related Articles

Six athletes from Inspire Institute of Sport qualify for 2023 Asian Athletics Championship

World record holder Rhonex Kipruto suspended for suspected doping as Kenya's problems rise

"There are two specific targets that I have in my mind. I want to better the timing and if I make the cut into the final, I will try and get the medal," she added.

Dutee is following a special training program to prepare for the cut-throat competition in Doha, saying that she has been training after 9.00 pm in the night as the races at Championships will be held at night and she wants her body to be prepared for that. It becomes very important for body to perform at that time.

"The races will be held at night over there, between 11 to 11.30 pm. I have prepared for it keeping that in mind. I have been training at night for the same reason," said Dutee.

Off the track, The Asian Games medallist has been fighting a different battle after she opened up to the world about being in a same-sex relationship, which led to her facing the wrath of the family. However, Dutee still maintains that speaking up has made her stronger and free. Also, she added that she needs to keep fighting it out, both on and off the track.

"My personal fight is on as you all know but there is a lot to be fought in my sport," she concluded.