India’s fastest woman Dutee Chand may file defamation case against ex-sprinter

Dutee Chand, India’s fastest woman, may file a defamation suit against former sprinter Rachita Panda Mistry, who represented India at the 100 metre event in Sydney Olympics in 2000. The latter made some unsavoury comments on Dutee.

Dutee Chand said she would file defamation suit against former sprinter Rachita Panda Mistry for her unsavoury comments.(HT Photo)

India’s fastest woman Dutee Chand may file a defamation suit against former sprinter Rachita Panda Mistry over the latter raising questions on her records and passing ‘unsavoury’ remarks on her gender.

After International Association of Athletics Federations last week said it would approach the Court of Arbitration for Sports again to reopen the hyperandrogenism (male hormones) case against Chand, former sprinter Rachita Mistry had said a female athlete should compete against females and vice versa. “If tomorrow my daughter happens to compete with Dutee, then I wouldn’t allow it,” said Mistry, who represented India at the 100 metre event in Sydney Olympics in 2000.

READ | Dutee Chand shatters national 100m mark, misses Rio mark by 0.01 second

The 21-year-old Chand was banned in 2014 after being diagnosed with hyperandrogenism, but she successfully contested the ban and won a temporary reprieve from the Court of Arbitration for Sports. But when IAAF decided to reopen the case last week, Chand said she will keep fighting till she gets justice.

Chand said she would file defamation suit against Mistry for her unsavoury comments. “She is saying all such things out of jealousy as I had broken her record last year. “When other athletes from all over the world are encouraging me, is leveling such allegations,” she said.

“I have been fighting my case despite all problems. If Rachita being an athlete herself makes such comments then it shows she can’t tolerate me.”