By Abdul Gani
GUWAHATI, India (AA) – Dipa Karmakar, 22, has made history after becoming the first-ever Indian female gymnast to participate in the Olympic Games, which will be held in August in Brazilian capital Rio de Janeiro.
Karmakar, who hails from India’s northeastern state of Tripura on the border with Bangladesh, clinched 52.698 points at an Olympics qualifying event, allowing her to vie for the gold in artistic gymnastics.
Karmakar will be the first Indian gymnast in 52 years to represent India at the international sporting event.
Since the country’s independence in 1947, 11 male Indian gymnasts have taken part in the Olympics.
Karmakar will be India’s first female gymnast to participate in the games, according to Indian sports journalist and commentator Zafar Ali Khan.
“I’m extremely happy, as much as my fellow Indians,” an elated Karmakar told Anadolu Agency. “Now my dream is to win an Olympic medal. I will do my best to achieve that goal.”
“At present, I want to focus on my training so I can further improve my performance,” she added.
Known for her diligence, Karmakar expects to face tough challenges from her competitors, especially those from the U.S., Russia, South Korea and the U.K.
“But I’m confident and I’m working hard,” she said.
Karmakar credits her recent successes to her coach, Bishweswar Nandi, who has trained her for some 15 years.
“My coach is behind my success. It is with his guidance and support that I have achieved so much. He has been continuously focused on me and improved my performance,” she said.
Karmakar first began training in gymnastics at the age of six upon the instructions of her father, Dulal Karmakar, who is himself a weightlifting coach.
According to Nandi, her current coach, she will accomplish her dreams through hard work and dedication.
“I still remember Dipa coming to me as a flat-footed kid, which is not good for a gymnast,” Nandi told Firstpost.com, an Indian online news portal.
“That was the hardest part to fix for Dipa. We had to work very, very hard when she was a little kid to get the curve in her feet,” he said.
He added: “But with her dedication and sheer hard work she has done something for which all of us feel proud.”
Karmakar also appreciates her parents for the support they have given her.
“Normally, parents in India want their girls to get married and settle down. I’m lucky to have such wonderful parents who always encouraged me to do whatever I want to do,” she said.
Participation in the upcoming Olympic games will not be her first notable success.
Karmakar achieved another milestone by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to win a medal — a bronze — in the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow in 2014.
And last November, she became the first Indian female gymnast to feature in the final round of the World Championships.
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, among others, has congratulated Karmakar for her historic achievement.
“Hearty congratulations for Dipa Karmakar for becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the Olympics,” Mukherjee tweeted.
Ali Khan, a sports commentator, said thousands of youths across the country would now be inspired to take up gymnastics.
“I would say Dipa has performed in a brilliant way. She achieved this through hard work and dedication,” he told Anadolu Agency.
