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What's the story?
India's sprint star Dutee Chand is looking forward to qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the Khelo India University Games.
In case you didn't know
The Khelo India University Games are being staged in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 22nd February to 1st March 2020. This is the inaugural edition of the Games where universities from all over India are participating. A total of 17 sports are included in these Games.
The athletics competition at these games will be held at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar from 28th February to 1st March. The presence of stars like Dutee Chand will add a lot of star value to the athletics event and to the Games as a whole.
Heart of the matter
Dutee Chand, who had won a Gold medal at the World University Games last year, is aiming to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by putting up a good performance at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2020.
Dutee is looking forward to qualifying both for the 100 m and 200 m sprint events at the Olympics. World Athletics (formerly known as IAAF) has set the qualification times as 11.15 sec and 22.80 sec for the women's 100 m and 200 m sprints respectively although the World Rankings is the primary basis of qualification for the Games. The qualification period for the athletics events at the Tokyo Olympics ends on 29th June 2020.
Dutee will be participating for her university, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, at the KIUG and is hopeful that she can achieve the qualification timings at these games. Although she feels that her world ranking might be good enough to qualify for the Olympics, she would like to make it to the quadrennial Games after attaining the qualification timings.
Check out: Updated Khelo India University Games 2020 medal tally
"I may make the grade on the strength of my world ranking (currently No. 54 in 100m and No. 43 in 200m) but I really want to make it to the Olympic Games by achieving the qualification standard. To improve my ranking, I will need to compete in some quality events and, for some reason or the other, that has not happened."
Dutee's pet event is the 100 m where she had won the gold in the World University Games by clocking a timing of 11.32 sec and has a personal best of 11.22 sec.
What's next?
Dutee might find it difficult to achieve the Olympic qualification timing of 11.15 sec at the KIUG 2020 considering the lack of competition at the event but it is definitely not beyond her.
Whether she is able to breach the qualification standards or not, she would definitely be the star attraction at the Games and provide much-needed encouragement for all the budding athletes at the event.
