Bhubaneswa: India’s fastest woman Dutee Chand took to the track once again at the Khelo India University Games on Sunday and to nobody’s surprise the sprinter raced away to another gold medal for the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT). The 24-year-old picked up speed and took a massive lead quickly in the 200m final. Eventually, Chand clinched the gold medal with a timing of 23.66 seconds while Kirti Vijay Bhoite from the University of Mumbai settled for silver with a timing of 24.98 seconds. Deepali Mahapatra from Utkal University won bronze with a timing of 25.19 seconds.
“It feels very good to win the 200m gold. In 100m, it’s difficult to gauge when to run in full throttle and when to relax a little bit, but in 200m, it’s easier to understand when to run in full speed and when to ease out. However, a runner has to exert much more in a 200m race,” said Chand after her win.
The sprinter won her second gold of the tournament on the last day of the Khelo India University Games. Chand lauded the way the competition has been organised in Odisha.
“The Khelo India University Games has been a good tournament for our state – Odisha. It was organised like an Asian Games, where the athletes were provided with accommodation, food and training facilities. The schedule of all events was strictly followed and the athletes were given ample rest as well. So, the competition was conducted very well and I would like to thank the Indian government and state government for organising the event,” said the sprinter.
However, Chand stressed on the fact that there should be more tournaments organised in India for the betterment of all athletes.