Dutee Chand named in TIME 100 Next list
Sprinter Dutee Chand has been named in the prestigious TIME 100 Next, an expansion of its flagship 100 Most Influential People list. Her role in advocating for female athletes' rights over their bodies and sexuality have made her a notable changemaker.
India’s ace sprinter Dutee Chand has been named in the TIME 100 Next list. The new list is an expansion of TIME 100 most influential people list, which spotlights 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health, and more.
Dutee finds herself along with actor Awkwafina, writer and artist Chanel Miller, environmental activists Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and Kelsey Juliana, activist Amanda Nguyen and many more. She and others named under the ‘Advocates’ tab are recognised for their efforts for change.
"I am delighted to receive this recognition from TIME. I believe in gender equality. I will continue to fight for the rights of young girls and women in sports as well as in the larger society," Chand said in an official statement.
Dutee’s fight to overturn her ban from sport became a larger cause to highlight the struggles of other women athletes who have high natural testosterone levels. Banned from participating in 2014, she successfully appealed the judgment and setting a landmark precedent for women in sport with ‘Hyperandrogenism’. The 23-year-old is a vocal advocate of athletes’ rights over their bodies.
In 2019, she came out and announced that she was in a same-sex relationship. She is India’s first openly gay athlete. Her announcement came within a year of India decriminalising homosexuality and proved to be a notable step forward for acceptance of homosexual love.
She has been vocal about the backlash she received about her coming out.
“I was tired of living in fear. While my parents and most of my siblings supported me, my older sister wanted me to end my relationship and threatened to tell everyone and ensure my career was over if I didn’t. It was my girlfriend (whose name she will reveal only after she completes her studies) who encouraged me to speak up,” she said in an interview.
Dutee believes that, “No one can win without love.”
“I also want to be an activist and not just a role model for the LGBTQIA+ community — we cannot ruin our lives because our society does not understand us,” she added.
After her return to sport, she struggled to find her rhythm. However, she reclaimed her glory by winning silver medals at the 100 m and 200 m races in the Asian Games in Jakarta. In 2019, she became the first Indian first Indian sprinter to win the 100 m at the World University Games. Vogue India named her Sportsperson of the Year in 2019.
(Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan)
