On the athletics track, she is her fiercest rival but off it Srabani Nanda is not only like a 'big sister' but one who has inspired statemate Dutee Chand to take up the sprint events as the Odisha duo now reign supreme at national level.
Dutee, who has now become the face of women's fight against 'injustice' in sport after winning a landmark gender case, held the 800m national record at junior level before making the switch to 100/200m under the tutelage of Srabani's childhood coach Nilambadhab Deo.
"I really respect Srabani 'Apa' (sister) a lot, she has inspired many Odia athletes including me after Rachita Mistri (100m national record holder)," Dutee, who finished on top ahead of Srabani in both 100 and 200m races before both helping Railways win the 4x100m relay at the recently concluded 55th National Open Athletics Championship, told PTI.
"I was staying in the same sports hostel in Bhubaneswar and all of us (junior athletes) would hold her (Srabani) in high respect.
"It was one fine morning in in 2008-09 Deo sir told me 'I'd be better off in sprint'. I gradually came under his tutelage," Dutee recalled, as she went on to become 100m national junior champion in 2012.
But, Dutee admits that relationship with Srabani began to "strain" when she graduated to the senior level and went to pip her to the second place at the 2013 National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship in Chennai.
"Srabani 'Apa' stopped talking to me and so did her coach and it really hurt my feelings. Things changed, I moved under the wings of Nagapuri Ramesh sir," the 19-year-old Dutee remembers.
