Dutee can run in nat’l events

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 18

This hasn’t been an easy year for sprinter Dutee Chand.

She was first excluded from the national squad for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after failing the hyperandrogenism test and later banned by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) from competitions when the results confirmed she had high levels of the naturally occurring testosterone.

But there’s finally some good news for the teenage Odisha sprinter.

Dutee has been granted permission to participate in domestic competitions in a provisional ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), pending a final decision on her main application.

Dutee had knocked on the doors of the CAS to challenge the IAAF’s medical policy on hyperandrogenism, which disqualified her from taking part in women’s competitions due to her elevated testosterone levels. “The CAS in its provisional ruling on Thursday has provided an interim relief to Dutee which will enable her to compete in national and state competitions. The final decision on her application is expected to come only after the National Games as the CAS is having a break. This is a good news for Dutee as she can compete at the Games,” Dr Payoshni Mitra, a research consultant on gender and sports issues nominated by Sports Authority of India to advice Dutee, told The Tribune.

The ruling would brighten her chances of representing her state at the Kerala National Games from January 31 to February 14, provided she qualifies in her category.

The CAS has, however, barred Dutee from taking part in international competitions till the international apex quasi-judicial body on sports comes out with its final decision on her plea.