"I hope my hard work pays off," Dutee Chand said. "I never thought of quitting. It's always a dream for an athlete to represent their country and what happened was not my fault."
Dutee Chand
Four years after she was forced out of the Asian Games in a row over her gender, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand said she was determined to make up for lost time as she finally gets her chance in Indonesia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chand, affected by the same condition, hyperandrogenism, which has dogged the career of double Olympic champion Caster Semenya, fought and won a lengthy court battle to remain in the sport she loves.
Chand was barred from competing under the International Association of Athletics Federation's rules at the time. Now, Chand, 22, is hoping for a redemptive medal at her long-delayed Asian Games debut in Jakarta, where she also has her eye on lowering India's 100m record for the second time in two months.
"I am so happy. I missed the 2014 Asian Games due to the hyperandrogenism row, so it's my chance to prove my worth," said Chand, whose hero is Usain Bolt. "I hope my hard work pays off," she said. "I never thought of quitting. It's always a dream for an athlete to represent their country and what happened was not my fault."
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates