Dutee Chand is a champion athlete in India, with the 100 metre record and two silver medals from the 2018 Asian Games under her belt. She’s now training to qualify for the World Championships and Tokyo Olympics 2020, where she will no doubt continue to impress.

Chand is now also the first ever Indian sportsperson to be openly gay, after talking about her same-sex relationship. Last year, the Indian Supreme Court made a historic move by decriminalising gay sex, which had been illegal for 158 years thanks to a law made under British rule. This is why Chand’s recent interview, where she referred to her girlfriend as her “soulmate” is such a step forward in India.

Why everyone is talking about Indian athlete Dutee Chand's tribute to her girlfriend