Odisha star Dutee Chand justified her reputation as the fastest woman of India as she breezed to 100m victory in 11.51 seconds in the Indian Grand Prix I Athletics at the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports in Patiala today. However, Odisha male sprint star Amiya Kumar Mallick contended himself with 100m bronze.

Competing in her pet event, 100m, the 25-year-old Dutee was a comfortable winner despite having to run the entire distance twice. Lining up for the final, Dutee raced her way to a win in the first go but was called back moments later for a restart after Himashree Roy of Bengal was penalised for a false start.

The Indian GP-I was the first national-level track and field for seniors meet since the National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi in October 2019. With the cream of Indian athletics gearing up for the AFI Federation Cup to be held here next month, the GP-I showed that the athletes were in good fettle.

A number of personal bests was evidence of the shape that the athletes have kept themselves in, mindful of the fact that in the Olympic year they would use such a meet as part of their preparation for the task ahead.

Muhammad Anas Yahiya (Kerala), the leading 400m runner in the country, took part in the 100m and finished a creditable second in 10.70 seconds, two-hundredths of a second behind Krishnakumar Satish Rane (Maharashtra). Amiya Kumar Mallick won the slower B Race in 10.89 seconds to take the third place overall.

The three Grands Prix meets at the same venue – the other two to be held on February 25 and March 5 – are more in the nature of warm-up events for the AFI Federation Cup, slated here from March 15.
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PHOTO: Dutee Chand (Middle) on her way to 100m gold medal at the Indian Grand Prix I in Patiala on 18 February, 2021.