Bhubaneswar, Feb 9: Ace sprinter from Odisha Dutee Chand has been nominated for the BBC Indian Sportswoman award along with four other contenders for 2021.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated Dutee on being nominated for BBC Indian Sportswomen of the year. He wished her the very best and wished her to keep inspiring.

The shortlist for the BBC Indian Sportswoman award was announced in Delhi on Monday.

The list of five contenders for 2021 features shooter Manu Bhaker, sprinter Dutee Chand, chess player Koneru Humpy, wrestler Vinesh Phogat and hockey captain Rani, said a report published in bbc.com.

The accolade honours the contributions of Indian sportswomen and celebrates the achievements of women in sport in the country, it added.

The five sportswomen who received the most number of votes by jury members have been nominated for public voting online.

Voting is open until Wednesday, 24 February at 18:00 GMT and the winner will be announced on Monday, 8 March at a virtual ceremony in Delhi and on the BBC Sport website. Terms and conditions and privacy notice are available via the voting page, the report said.

The BBC launched the inaugural edition of the award in February 2020 and it’s the second year of the campaign.