The exclusion of Odisha’s ace woman sprinter Dutee Chand from the Indian squad for the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games at the last moment for failing a test to check the level of androgen rocked the State Assembly on Saturday with ruling BJD members dubbing the move as a “conspiracy”.
Alleging that the move is an injustice to the athlete and to the State as well, BJD members Ranendra Pratap Swain and Sanjeev Sahoo slammed their own Government for its silence over the issue. They urged the Government to lodge its strong protest at the appropriate forum and give protection to Dutee.
Even Minister for Sports and Youth Affair Sudam Marandi described Dutee’s exclusion as a pathetic development for the State. The State Government would take appropriate steps to go into the alleged “conspiracy” and ensure justice to the young athlete, he said.
Stating that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has clarified Dutee was excluded from the Indian squad after a high level of androgen was found in her blood, Marandi took exception to the way the test was conducted and its timing. Why the medical test was not conducted earlier, he sought to know. It was wrong to single out Dutee for the test, he said.
The Minister said the State Government has drawn the attention of the Director General, Sports Authority of India and the Athletic Federation of India asking them to clarify under what circumstances Dutee was excluded from the squad and what prompted the federation to conduct the test in a hurry two days ahead of the tour.
To a question of Congress member Debendra Sharma that national level woman football player Rashmita Patra was forced to eke out her living by vending fruits in Ali town of Kenderapada district in the absence of any encouragement from the Government, Marandi said a number of such cases have come to the notice of his department and steps are being taken to do the needful.