Olympian gymnast Dipa Karmakar with the Chandigarh team at the GMADA Sports Complex, Sector 78, on Friday. (Express Photo/Jasbir Malhi)
With gymnasts from 24 states watching and approaching her for autograph, Dipa Karmakar was a busy person on Friday morning at the GMADA Sports Complex, Sector 78. The last time Karmakar, who won a historic fourth spot in Rio Olympics, visited Chandigarh was in 2004 to take part in the sub-junior nationals and as the Gymnastics Nationals started in Mohali after a gap of four years, the Tripura athlete sounded confident about more talents emerging from the country.
“I last visited Chandigarh to take part in the sub-junior nationals in 2004 and I competed in the Zero Vault event at that time. A lot of changes have come and the biggest change has been that people, who did not know me or my coach Bishweshwar Nandi sir or Tripura, know about gymnastics now. I am happy that the gymnasts are getting an opportunity to compete in the nationals after a gap of four years. Players, who did not compete at the sub-junior level, turned seniors during that time and nationals always bring talented players ahead,” shared Karmakar, who won the bronze medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The 24-year-old athlete suffered a knee injury while practising for the Asian Championships trials last year and underwent an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery last April and the gymnast will not be taking part in this year’s Commonwealth Games. With coach Bishweshwar Nandi charting out her training plans, Karmakar is aiming to compete in the Asian Games and World Championships next year. Karmakar, who is one of the five women to successfully land the Produnova vault, has taken a break from training for the Produnova.
“The injury happened before Rio Olympics. After the Olympics qualification, I tried the Produnova 1000 times in three months and that’s why I could end up in the fourth spot in Rio. Nandi sir has decided and told me to skip the CWG as I want to compete with my best fitness level. My next target is the Asian Games later this year and next year’s World Championships. Qualification for Tokyo Olympics will also start next year and an early qualification will mean things can be planned in a better way,” shared Karmakar.
While the nationals are being held after a gap of four years, Karmakar also believes that training on proper equipment is the key for young athletes. “The last time I went abroad for training was in 2010. A lot depends on training on the right kind of equipment. The equipment keep getting remodelled and some of the vaults were remodelled after the Rio Olympics and last year’s World Championships in Montreal. A floor costs Rs 48 lakh. If we cannot get new equipment every year, we have to make sure that youngsters train on these equipment and understand the basics,” concluded the athlete, who has been training under coach Nandi.
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