Great Honour For Dutee Chand As She Makes It To The List Of 100 Rising Stars In Time Magazine

Dutee Chand has found a place in the Time list of 'Time 100 Next' - the first of its kind brought out by the magazine to expand the TIME 100 franchise. It has 100 rising stars from different disciplines.

"I feel really humbled and honoured with this recognition. It will inspire me further to do better in my pursuit both on and off the field and will strengthen my belief in hard work and gender equality," she said on getting the news.

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She is in the category of advocates. The Time 100 Next list has five categories which are artists, advocates, leaders, phenoms and innovators.

Dutee, who recently broke her own national record as the fastest woman of the country, said "When you get such recognitions after so much of struggle in life, it really means a lot. I will continue my fight for the rights of young girls and women in sports as well as in society at large."

"All my focus is on winning a medal in the Olympics and make my country and everyone who supported me around the world proud. I am grateful to my mentor and Godfather Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KIIT and KISS, who stood by me during all thick and thin," she added while speaking on her preparation for the 2020 Olympics.

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The Time Magazine has mentioned about her achievements, her struggle and her zeal, determination and grit to fight and overcome all odds. "On the track, Dutee Chand sprints. Off the track, she fights.

The 100-m runner from India is preparing to make her second Olympic appearance, in 2020 in Tokyo. In July, she became the first Indian sprinter to win the 100-m at the World University Games. But back in 2014, Chand was effectively banned from competition because of her high natural testosterone levels; she appealed the verdict and won a precedent-setting case," the magazine writes about here.

"This year, Chand announced she was in a same-sex relationship, making her the first openly gay athlete in India's history. For a country that decriminalized homosexuality just a year ago, Chand's revelation was a notable step forward...," it said.

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"Ecstatic and Humbled! Honoured to be in Time 100 Next 2019. On the track, I'll sprint. Off the track, I'll fight. Fight for Inclusion, Equality, Rights and dignity of People. #loveislove," she tweeted as congratulatory messages poured in for her. Congratulating her, Odisha sports minister Tushar Kanti Behera said, "Dutee is a role model for youngsters across the globe. She has made us all proud. I wish her all the best for more feats."

Ecstatic and Humbled!
Honoured to be in Time 100 Next 2019. On the track, I'll sprint?
Off the track, I'll fight?
Fight for Inclusion, Equality, Rights and dignity of People. #loveislove https://t.co/8aA5jxiJUu

¡ª Dutee Chand (@DuteeChand) November 13, 2019

"May she always sprint her way to glory both on and off the track," tweeted Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Congratulations to @DuteeChand, the fastest woman of India, on being shortlisted in the esteemed Time 100 Next 2019 list.
May she always sprint her way to glory both on and off the track. https://t.co/TcBHPfyYIG

¡ª Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) November 13, 2019

Olympian Anuradha Biswal said "She is making proud all of us. No sports person in the state has ever achieved such milestones Dutee has done. She is indeed a rising star and an inspiration for the younger generation."

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The youngest person in the 100 list is 14-year-old figure-skating phenom Alysa Liu, who recently became the first US woman to land a quadruple Lutz in competition. The oldest is Ayman Odeh, a politician who, at 44, has emerged as a potential kingmaker in Israeli politics, the TIME Magazine wrote.