Asian Games 2018: I ran with closed eyes, says Dutee Chand after silver win

Dutee Chand was dropped from India's Commonwealth Games contingent in 2014 after being rendered ineligible to compete as a female athlete due to hyperandrogenism policy of IAAF.

Unable to stop smiling after crying for years, Dutee Chand was sprinting with her "eyes closed" until she had ushered in a new dawn, healing an old wound on the way.

Dropped from India's Commonwealth Games contingent in 2014 after being rendered ineligible to compete as a female athlete due to hyperandrogenism policy of the world athletics body (IAAF), the last four years of her life have not been easy for the 22-year-old Odisha athlete.

Allowed to race again after being cleared by the Court of Arbitration (CAS), Dutee on Sunday achieved the biggest success of her career.

"2014 was very a bad year for me. People said many things abut me. The same girl today came back and won a medal for the country, it is really big achievement for me," Dutee said after winning a silver medal in the women's 100m at the Asian Games.

The desperation to achieve something big, to make up for the opportunities lost, was palpable as she spoke about her effort.

"In the semifinals, the first 20 metres, I did not push much and coach pointed out that 'you have to make a better beginning. So in the final, I rushed the first 40 metres. I was running with eyes closed, whether medal comes or not, I wanted to better my timing.

"When I opened my eyes, the race was over. I did not know what has happened. People said you have won a medal, but I did not believe, I did not pick flag until I saw the result on display screen."

Dutee could not stop smiling after the win.

ALSO READ: Asian Games 2018: Dutee Chand gets praise, cash award for her silver win

"It is my biggest medal, I am already 22 and I had never participated at Asian Games before because of hyperandrogenism. It was Olympic for me, I trained for six hours in a session for this."

Dutee had become only the third Indian to qualify for the women 100m event at the Rio Olympics. She had timed 11.69 but did not make it to the final.

The Athletic Federation of India and IAAF' faced flak for violating Dutee's privacy and human rights. She appealed to the CAS and in July 2015, it issued a decision to suspend the hyperandrogenism regulation for female track and field sports for two years.

It found that there was insufficient evidence to indicate that there is any link between enhanced androgen levels and improved athletic performance.

The court gave two more years to IAAF to present convincing evidence and if it is not provided within the deadline, the regulation will be automatically revoked.

Dutee's silver came in 11.32 seconds, the same timing with which she had won gold at the National Games. However, it was slower than her own national record (11.29).

Article Source BS

Asian Games 2018: I was nervous before my race, says Hima Das

Hima broke the national record twice in two-days in 400 m event.

She has beaten the national record twice in two days but India's newest sprint queen Hima Das said she was nervous ahead of Asian Games 400m final where she won a silver medal on Sunday.

Hima clocked 50.59 seconds to win the silver, behind pre-race favourite Bahrain's Salwa Naser who won the gold in a new Games record time of 50.09 seconds.

Hima, the reigning Under-20 world champion, had qualified for the final with a national record time of 51.00 seconds Saturday, bettering the 14-year-old mark set by Manjeet Kaur (51.05) in Chennai in 2004, and she on Sunday bettered it again.

"You surely get nervous. They don't see but only I know how nervous I get," said the 18-year-old sprinter from a village near Dhing in Assam.

Naser, the Nigerian-born 2017 World Championships silver medallist and winner of four legs of Diamond League Series this year, did not have to exert much in the end to clinch the goal.

"She (Naser) is a big athlete, I am happy to compete with her and I learnt in both the races. I grabbed a bit about race technique bit it's difficult to explain," said Hima who finished behind the Bahraini in the preliminary heats also.

"She is perfect athlete, I started my career just two years. I played football and it helped in athletics. But she is World Championship medallist, I learnt a lot from her."

ALSO READ: Sprint queen Hima Das: Is she the next big thing in brand endorsements?

Hima, however, said she does not think of reputation of a competitor when she steps on to the track.

"They are all good athletes. Good athletes will be there at good competitions but I don't think about them, I just think of bettering my own time," said Hima who has developed a habit of bettering her own mark in every subsequent race.

Asked if she knows how fast she can run in future or if she is close to her best, she said, "I am not sure how fast I can run."

Asked to comment on her rapid progress in such a short time, she shot back, "What kind of question is this? We always think of bettering our mark."

Hima said her coach Galina Bukharina did not prepare any special strategy for the final.

"It was tough competition, I knew, I am happy I bettered my mark. I was not confident but knew I will better by some margin," she said.

She said she did not plan her final race on Sunday.

"When you run, you don't think whether to run first 100m in such time and next 100m in such. There is no time to think. You don't think who will be ahead or behind, you just run.

Article Source BS

I want to open India's Olympic gold account in wrestling: Bajrang Punia

He wants to realise his guru Yogeshwar Dutt dream of a Gold medal at Olympics.

Bajrang Punia struck gold on the very first day of the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta. He overpowered Japan's Daichi Takatani 11-8 in the final of men's Freestyle 65 kg category to open India's gold medal tally in 18th Asian Games. He wants to do something similar. At a grander stage. To be precise, in Japan's Tokyo, in year 2020; the tournament -- the Olympics. 

Punia has a personal connection with the tournament too. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, his mentor and coach Yogeshwar Dutt could manage a bronze medal. Punia wants to right the wrong. He wants to realise his guru's dream.

In a telephonic interview with Business Standard, the ace Indian wrestler talked about his victory in the Asian Games 2018 and about his next big challenge -- the Tokyo Olympics. Edited excerpts:

Q: We talked to your village head (sarpanch) Dinesh Singh. He is very happy that you won a gold for India. What is your message for your village?

Bajrang: Villagers support me whenever I participate in any event. I wish I keep getting their blessings so that I can keep performing for India and bring glory to the nation and the village.

Q: Your Whatsapp display picture (DP) is of Tokyo 2020. Any special reason behind it?

Bajrang: I put this picture of Tokyo 2020 Olympics (as my DP) a year-and-half ago. I did this to keep myself motivated and win an Olympic gold in wrestling as that figure is still stuck at zero. The way the country and the media is supporting me, I am sure I will bring Gold in Tokyo Olympics.

Q: What is Yogeshwar Dutt's role in your wrestling career?

Bajrang: Yogi bhai has played a crucial role in my wrestling career. He wants me to win an Olympic Gold as he failed to do so in Rio Olympics. Today, I am a wrestler because of Yogeshwar bhai. I want to realise his dream of winning Gold in Olympics and I am working on that.

Question: According to various media reports, Yogeshwar Dutt left wrestling because he saw a lot of potential in you.

Bajrang: He has taken a break from wrestling after Rio Olympics. He hasn't retired. Currently, he is not fit to wrestle. When he will be fit, he will try in 70-kg category. He asked me to wrestle in 65-kg category.

Article Source BS

Asian Games 2018: India thrash Maldives 3-0 in badminton team event

The Indian men's team will next face hosts Indonesia on Monday in the quarterfinals.

Àsian Games 2018 : The Indian badminton team, led by Kidambi Srikanth, made a resounding start to its campaign at the 18th Asian Games, thrashing minnows Maldives 3-0 in the opening match of the team competition here today.

World No 8. Srikanth brushed aside Maldives' Hussein Zayan Shaheed Zaki 21-4 21-5 in 18 minutes to give India a 1-0 lead.

World No. 11 H S Prannoy then took 21 minutes to outclass Mohamed Sarim 21-8 21-6 and make it 2-0 in India's favour.

B Sai Praneeth, who had clinched the 2017 Singapore Open, then ended the challenge of Mohamed Ajfan Rasheed in just 22 minutes with a 21-7 21-8 demolition as India wrapped up the contest 3-0.

The Indian men's team will next face hosts Indonesia tomorrow in the quarterfinals.

Indonesia, who received a first-round bye, boasts of good players such as Jonathan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in the singles, while their doubles line-up comprise World No. 1 Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and World No. 9 Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

ALSO READ: Asian Games 2018 LIVE: India hopes to increase medal count on Day 2

The women's team, led by Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu, will play formidable Japan in the quarterfinals after receiving a bye in the opening round.

Article Source BS