Good Sports: WINNING THE RIGHT TO COMPETE
One of India’s top young runners has won the right to compete in international races again. Duttee Chand, an 18-and-under national champion in the 100-meter dash, was barred from international competition last year because her body naturally produces more testosterone than what’s considered normal for female athletes.
Unlike other female athletes with similar conditions, Chand declined to undergo corrective surgery or drug treatment and instead took her case to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, which recently ruled in her favor. The court questioned the scientific evidence linking “enhanced testosterone levels and improved athletic performance.”
“What I had to face last year was not fair,” Chand said in a statement released by her attorneys. “I have a right to run and compete. But that right was taken away from me. I was humiliated for something that I can’t be blamed for. I am glad that no other female athlete will have to face what I have faced, thanks to this verdict.”
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
