Dutee Chand, India’s fastest woman from Odisha, added a rare jewel to her well-decorated crown by winning the 100 metre gold medal in the 30th Summer Universiade, the World University Games in Napoli, Italy today. A Law student of KIIT University, 23-year-old Dutee clocked 11.32 seconds, leading the race from start to finish.

She, thus, became the first Indian women track-and-field athlete to win the 100m title in a global event. For the record, Dutee is the second Indian sprinter to win a gold in a global event after Hima Das, who clinched the top spot in 400m in the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.

Dutee is also the second Indian track-and-field athlete to win a gold in the World Universiade. Inderjeet Singh had clinched the top spot in men’s shot put event in the 2015 edition. Earlier, Dutee clocked 11.41 seconds in the semifinals and 11.58 sconds in the heats.

Dutee also participated in the previous edition of the World University Games, held in Taipei City in 2017, but could not reach semifinals. She has a season best of 11.26 seconds in 100m, recorded in the Doha Asian Championships in April.

Social media became flooded with the congratulatory messages for Dutee on her latest achievement. President Ramnath Kovind, Prime Ministeer Narendra Modi, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Odisha Chief Minsiter Naveen Patnaik were among dignitaries to congratulate the sprinter through Twitter. Eminent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also created a sand sculpture on the Puri beach, congratulating Dutee.

Dutee dedicated the gold medal to KIIT University and its founder Dr Achyuta Samanta for supporting her in her bad days. She also thanked the people of Odisha and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for their support. She exuded confidence to bring Olympic gold medals home. Dutee also took it as an opportunity to hit back at her critics, saying, ``Pull me down, I will come back stronger!’’
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PHOTO: Dutee Chand poses with her 100m gold medal at the Wold University Games in Naples, Italy on 9th July, 2019.