Ace Indian sprinter Dutee Chand won gold medal at the 100m in the World Universiade in Napoli, Italy, becoming the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win in the World University Games. The 23-year-old had qualified for the finals with a 11.41 seconds finish in the semifinal heats.
From Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi to superstar Amitabh Bachchan, celebrities took to Twitter to wish Dutee Chand for her spectacular run.
Chand’s parents – impoverished weavers Chakradhar and Akhuji – also celebrated her victory on Wednesday by distributing sweets among the villagers. However, when asked if now they would happily accept Dutee’s homosexual relation, she refused.
Also read: Dutee Chand gets threats from family after revealing same sex relationship
As quoted by a leading daily, Chand’s mother said that she would pray for her daughter before the final event however, is still against her relationship.
“We are still against the relationship of our daughter. We will continue to object to it. But our best wishes are always with her; we want her to excel on the track and bring laurels to the country and the state,” said Akhuji.
Dutee’s elder sister, also congratulated her for the feat. “We are extremely happy that Dutee won gold. She has inspired the youth. We are proud of her,” said Saraswati.
Two months ago, Odia sprinter Dutee Chand had announced that she was in a same-sex relationship, becoming the first openly gay athlete in the socially conservative country. Dutee claimed that her family has raised objection to her relationship and threatened to not only expel her from the family but also send her to jail.
Also read: Ellen DeGeneres backs Dutee Chand’s same sex relationship, says “I am proud of her”
