Arjuna Award will boost my inner best for upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2021: Dutee Chand

India’s top sprinter Dutee Chand says Her best is yet to come. Dutee Chand says her selection for the Arjuna award has come at the proper time because it would motivate her to breach the “difficult” Olympic qualification mark.

The 24-year-old Dutee, silver medallist in both 100m and 200m within the 2018 Asian Games, was on Friday selected for the honour along side 26 others.

She features a personal better of 11.22 seconds which she recorded last year.

Dutee featured within the Rio Olympics by breaching the qualifying standard of 11.32 seconds but this point the mark is 11.15 seconds.

“The Award has come at the proper time. Any recognition by the govt for your performance and achievements always boosts the arrogance of an athlete,” Dutee told PTI from Bhubaneswar.

“This should give me more strength and confidence in my efforts to try to to well within the Olympics. I hope to qualify for my second Olympics in Tokyo next year and do my best there,” she added.

“It are going to be tough (to breach 11.15 secs) but i’m confident to breach it. This award will give me the boost in my efforts.”

Dutee, also the reigning World University Games 100m champion, said she doesn’t mind missing out on receiving the award from President Ram Nath Kovind because the ceremony are going to be held online on August 29 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“An award or an honour from the govt is usually welcomed any time. Of course, it might be are an excellent occasion to receive the award from the president during a (physical) ceremony. But it’s alright , i’m happy that I even have been chosen for the award,” she said.

“My achievements through diligence are recognised by the govt , that’s the more important thing.”
Dutee is keenly waiting to start out the full-intensity training which she couldn’t undertake currently thanks to coronavirus-forced restrictions.

“I do not have a physio, no masseur currently, they can’t be here thanks to pandemic. My coach (N Ramesh) can only tell through whatsapp video what I even have to try to to . But that’s not enough,” said Dutee who is currently training at the Kalinga Institute of commercial Technology.