Dutee Chand, India’s top sprinter, won gold in the women’s 100m race at the Khelo India University Games 2021 in Bengaluru on Saturday. Dutee, who won silver at the Asian Games, ran 11.68 seconds, which was a long way from her personal best and national record of 11.17 seconds set last year.

Dutee set a national university record by winning the 100m race in 11.49 seconds at the last KIUG. Dutee, representing Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) at KIUG 2021, finished ahead of Avantika Narale of Savitribai Phule Pune University (11.81 seconds) and Preeti Guru of Jambeshwari University (11.83 seconds).

Dutee Chand has yet to meet the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) qualification standards for the Commonwealth Games (11.31s) and the Asian Games (11.36s) later this year. Dutee, a Tokyo Olympian, has won her 100m run at the national inter-university championships in 11.44 seconds in February and gold at the Federation Cup in 11.49 seconds last month so far in the 2022 season.

After Dutee Chand’s top pace finish, KIIT University moved up to 25th place in the KIUG 2021 medals table, with five medals – two golds, one silver, and two bronze. The first four medals won by KIIT were in weightlifting. The Khelo India University Games leaderboard is topped by Jain University, which has 16 gold, six silver, and five bronze medals.