Dutee Chand, CA Bhavani Devi and Shivpal Singh, all from KIIT have made the cut for the forthcoming Olympic Games. Dr Sudeep Satpathy of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), sports medicine doctor, is also part of it.
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As the dates for the Tokyo Olympics is closing by, three athletes, Dutee Chand, CA Bhavani Devi and Shivpal Singh, have made the cut for the forthcoming Olympic Games. Part of it is Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Dr Sudeep Satpathy, who is sports medicine doctor.
“KIIT is the only university in India to send three athletes and one official doctor to the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is scheduled to start from July 23, 2021,” informed Dr Achyuta Samanta, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and Founder, KIIT & KISS.
Dr Samanta interacted with journalists at virtual press meet in Bhubaneswar.
Interacting with the journalists at a national virtual press meet in Bhubaneswar, Dr. Samanta said, “KIIT and KISS have been able to achieve such unique distinction as they have been promoting sports and games in a big way among the students since their inception.”
It is remarkable for the KISS that has produced more than 5000 sports talents at the state, national and international levels.
“KIIT is the only university in India to send three athletes and one official doctor to the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is scheduled to start from July 23, 2021.”
— Dr Achyuta Samanta
They include in the list of medal winners for the country at international sports meets like Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World University Games.
“Many KIIT students have also brought glory for the institution, state and country by their performance at various national and international games.”
For Dutee Chand, who is a law student at KIIT, it will be the second consecutive Olympic appearance. She qualified in two events – women’s 100m and 200m sprints – on the basis of her world ranking.
“An Arjuna Awardee athlete and national record holder in 100m with a time of 11.17s, highlight of her career is winning two silver medals at in 2018 Asian Games. She is the only Indian to participate in two events for two times in Olympics,” Dr Samanta added.
Athlete CA Bhavani Devi is pursuing Ph.D. degree at KIIT. She is the first Indian fencer to ever qualify for the Olympics.
“She secured qualification in the women’s sabre event at Tokyo 2020 Olympics through the Adjusted Olympic Rankings, following the World Cup in Hungary on 14th March 2021. Ranked 42nd in the world, she made history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Senior Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Australia in 2018 in the sabre event.”
Javelin thrower, Shivpal Singh is a BBA student at KIIT. He qualified for his maiden Olympic Games by breaching the qualification mark with a throw of 85.47m at the ACNW League Meeting in South Africa on March 9, 2021. The throw also earned him the Gold Medal at the event. He will represent India along with star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra.
Dr Sudeep Satpathy of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) has been selected as the Doctor of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team for Tokyo Olympics 2021. A specialist in Clinical Physiology including Sports & Exercise Physiology, Dr Satpathy has numerous Olympic involvements in the past, including Sports Medicine Doctor in Rio Olympics 2016 polyclinic and Athletes Park, looking after emergency and sports medicine clinics.
Tusharkanti Behera, Minister, Sports & Youth Services and Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Odisha joined the event as the Chief Guest.
He took part in the virtual felicitation and interaction ceremony, while Vishal Kumar Dev, IAS, Principal Secretary, Sports and Youth Services and Tourism Department, Odisha, joined as the Guest of Honour.
Dr Sasmita Samanta, Pro-VC, KIIT Deemed to be University also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Samanta announced two important gifts for Dutee Chand.
They will be presented to her after her return from the Olympics.
Dr Samanta said, “KIIT and he personally have been with Dutee during her good and bad time from 201; will be with Dutee in future also.”
Dr Gaganendu Dash, Director-Sports, KIIT introduced the athletes, sports lovers, and staff of KIIT & KISS joined the ceremony in large numbers.