Ace sprinter Dutee Chand on Wednesday cleared all doubts on her selling her BMW car, she says that it had nothing to do with her lacking funds for training. She sold her BMW to get some ‘breathing space’ and not burden the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) or the Odisha government.
Recently, Dutee had shared a post on her social media handle, saying that she was putting her car on sale as she needed funds for training for the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Later, she deleted that post after it already grabbed headlines across the nation.
“I took to social media to sell my car BMW. Don’t have the resources to maintain luxury cars, though I love them. Am not able to use the car and it is a spendthrift expense on my part. I never expressed that I am selling it to fund my training,” Dutee said in a statement released on Twitter.
“Odisha Government and my own KIIT University have always supported me. This does not deny the fact that my training is very expensive, especially for the 2021 Olympics. I just wanted to make a point that this money could be diverted for my training and a car can be bought post-COVID once I receive the money from the State Government.” she added.
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Dutee also denied media reports about her monthly salary from Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC).
“My salary from OMC is 60,000, not 80,000. I am not complaining. Buying a car can definitely wait. KIIT University, my alma mater has stood with me and for me in all my difficulties. I just did not want to be a burden on KIIT or Odisha Government.”
The ace sprinter also made it clear that she is not facing any major financial crisis.
“Not that I live in deprivation or lack of resources, but selling the car could give me breathing space on one hand and not burden the overwhelmed KIIT and Odisha Government who are all stretched to help in these testing times,” the ace-sprinter said, in an interaction with PTI.
“I know that I will send a plan for my training, here in Odisha as I can not travel for any international destination, the Government will sanction it without any hesitation,” she added.
Dutee also wondered as to why she can’t take an individual call when it came to being self-reliant.
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“But just on humanitarian ground, can’t I do something myself? Why is my willingness to be self-reliant questioned? It is just a confusion created by the media, misinterpreting my use of language (definitely I admit it is not my forte). I have thorough respect for the Union Government, State Government, and KIIT who have made me what I am today.”
In conclusion, she said that her discretion to sell the BMW shouldn’t be anticipated as a grievance about not getting enough from the apprehensive authorities.
“With folded hands, I want to say that I was neither complaining nor making a show of my lack of finance because I am a daughter of the country and my well-wishers are there to keep me too,” Chand said.
“Bless me for my training in Kalinga Stadium so that my dream of getting gold for my country comes true,” she concluded.
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