Hyderabad: As the controversy around star sprinter Dutee Chand takes a new turn after Odisa government-issued public statement on her training expenditure, frustrated Dutee has expressed that the government is trying to humiliate her.
On Wednesday, Dutee clarified that she wants to sell her luxury car because she is unable to bear its maintenance cost and it will also aid her training for Tokyo Olympics.
The Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha on Thursday revealed that Chand has been given Rs 4.09 crore since 2015 and also appointed as Group-A officer in the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) currently drawing a gross salary of Rs 84,604 per month.
"When I posted about selling my BMW car on Facebook, nowhere did I mention that I need money to fund my training...I kept that post till 10 pm on that night; but when I saw it was being misinterpreted and leading to controversy and negativity, I deleted it," the track athlete said.
"I am not the only Odisha athlete being supported by the state government, there are many others, Srabani Nanda, Amiya Mullick, Purnima Hembram, some hockey athletes as well. Their details have never been revealed, but directly I have been countered," said Dutee.
"I am disappointed now, because nowhere in the world or in India has anybody (governments) revealed to the media what amount of money has been spent in the training of an athlete, whether it is Hima Das, Neeraj Chopra, Abhinav Bindra or PV Sindhu."
"The other Rs 50 lakh too (mentioned in the press release) I have never denied about...I have spent all that (on my training) and submitted the bills as well," Dutee said.
Dutee has been recently nominated for the Arjuna Award 2020.
"That was sanctioned for the Olympics in 2020. I need money because the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed (to 2021). Had it not been the case. I would not have said that I need money. I didn't feel right to ask for money when the country is fighting COVID-19 and everybody is making donations. That is why I wanted to sell my car."
"Rs 3 crore was for my (Asian Games) medals. I didn't ask for it. You decided. And where I invested it all the public knows. I built a house for my family, bought a car for myself and the rest invested in my sports career."
"I didn't say you (Odisha government) didn't support me. You did and I won medals in return. I won medals at the South Asian Games, Asian Championships (also two medals in the Asian Games), and participated in the Rio Olympics. You invested in me and I paid back."
"If any athlete is doing well, then it's the responsibility of the government to support the athlete," Dutee said.
"Are you humiliating me or the state? What will people think?"
