Two days after India crashed out of the World Cup, I can say that I am not really upset. Now with the foresight of hindsight, I feel that this was not perhaps a result of the arrogance and overconfidence that we have seen in recent times. Leaving aside the cricketers with an over-inflated sense of their own importance, we have other athletes to celebrate. Dutee Chand has won the gold medal at the ongoing Universiade for the 100 mt sprint event.
Watch Dutee Chand as she takes the lead right from the start and manages to keep it till the end to take the gold medal in the 100 mt sprint at the 2019 Universiade currently on in Naples, Italy. Also known as the World University Games, this is the first time an Indian has won gold at this event.
Dutee Chand had in the past won a landmark case where she had challenged the ban against her competing as a woman due to higher than normal testosterone levels. Born in a small town in Odisha, she has overcome tremendous odds to get to where she is today.
The gold medallist tweeted this picture of her medal with the caption “pull me down, I will come back stronger”.
Her tweet garnered well over 30k likes, thousands of retweets and hundreds of comments of congratulation and support, such as this tweet.
Her response to a congratulatory tweet from the President was “I will try my best to bring Olympics Gold Medal home”
This is good advice for a cricket-crazy nation that seems to have little regard for athletes other than cricketers. Not only do these athletes have talent, they train long and hard for their achievements without a fraction of the funding and facilities that cricketers take for granted.
The 100 m sprint is fast, exciting and a real test of athleticism and power. Unlike cricket, it doesn’t take five days, one day or even three hours to get a result.
Recently, Indian women athletes have done us proud indeed: Siakom Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting, 49 kg category), Divya Kakran (wrestling, 68 kg) Vinesh Phogat (freestyle wrestling, 53 kg), Hima Das (200 mt sprint), Navjeet Dhillon (discus throw).
Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik is known for his topical sculpture that capture national headlines and he decided to show his appreciation.
If there was any doubt that Dutee Chand has arrived on the international stage, this Cosmo cover dispels it. Cosmo may be known mainly for featuring celebs with a high glam quotient, but this time around they have made a worthy choice based not only on athletic prowess but also other reasons. As India's first openly gay athlete, Dutee Chand has given solace and direction to countless others who may be struggling with their sexual identity in India. Right now, Chand is an inspiration to all of us – and not just because her gold medal is cause for cheer in the aftermath of the CWC semifinal loss.
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