Bhubaneswar, July 4: Five athletes from Odisha found place in the 95-member Indian contingent at the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship, which begins tomorrow.

Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, Amiya Mallick, Purnima Hembram and Jauna Murmu are practising hard and hoping to win medals.

While Amiya, Srabani and Dutee will be competing in 100 metres, 200 metres and the 4X100-metre relay events respectively, Jauna will compete in the 400-metre hurdles. Purnima will compete in the heptathlon event.

Dutee is excited to run in front of her home crowd during the Asian Athletics Championship.

"It is going to be a big event and I want to feel the thrill of the people of my state cheering for me. I will not let them down," she said.

Dutee hopes it doesn't rain on the days of her events. "After showers, the bounciness of the track disappears. It becomes hard and this takes a toll on the runners. It has been raining here for the past few days and I just hope it recedes during the championships," she said.

Dutee recently won a silver in the 100m and a bronze in the 200m at the Kosanov Memorial Athletic Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Srabani has won a bronze in the 200m at the 2015 edition of AAC in Wuhan. Hopeful of a successful home run, she has been working for the past few weeks with her coach Tarun Saha.

"I have trained hard keeping this meet in mind. I also want to seal a place in the World Athletics Championships in London in August," said Nanda, adding that she was confident running in front of the home audience would not create any additional pressure on her.

"It will instead be a huge motivation. The roar of the home fans behind me will make me stronger."

For Juana, who has moved on from the doping controversy of 2011, said she was excited to perform in front of her home crowd and would give her best to win a medal.

"I am coming to my home ground after a gap of 11 years. I have trained hard and I have high hopes to secure my place in this championship," she said.