GYMNASTICS

Dipa fit, but coach will take CWG call in March

PTI12_9_2017_000074B Gymnast Dipa Karmakar at a felicitation ceremony in Kolkata | PTI

A fit-again Dipa Karmakar will join the gymnastics national camp next week but there is an air of uncertainty regarding her participation at the Commonwealth Games as coach Bishweshwar Nandi does not want to rush things.

The Dronacharya awardee coach, who is credited with Dipa's spectacular fourth-place finish in Rio Olympics, said he would take a call only by mid-March after seeing his ward's progress.

Although Nandi has not completely ruled Dipa out of the 2018 Gold Coast event, to be held in April, he feels the Asian Games in August would be a more "realistic target".

"I will closely monitor her progress, but I do not want to rush things. If she is fit, she will definitely go to Gold Coast. Achieving fitness is the priority and she has started slowly. It's 50-50 for Commonwealth Games now," Nandi said.

"I will be able to take a call by March 15 next year. We have two more important events lined up next year―the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, and the World Championship in Doha. So, I want to go slowly," he said.

Executing the Produnova, also known as the 'Vault of Death', to near perfection, the diminutive Agartala girl became a national sensation in a sport little known in India.

But she has been out of action post Rio owing to a ligament tear in the right leg and was operated on.

Meanwhile, Dipa has been looking for inspiration in Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina, who had won four medals at the 2012 London Olympics after being almost down and out with a career-threatening ACL tear.

“Look at Aliya Mustafina. She showed remarkable courage in winning a gold, a silver and two bronze medals in London. Who would have thought of that?” a confident Dipa said.

Like Mustafina, Dipa also had torn the ACL during training earlier this year and went under the knife.

“I'm absolutely normal. Why should I think about what happened due to surgery? It does not matter to me anymore. It's only about practise, practise and more practise,” she said.

“I am doing my best to do better than previously. My coach has chalked out my recovery path and I am continuing my rehab with my physio. I am following steps as was said by Dr Anant Joshi and the SAI has extended a great support.”

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Topics : #Dipa Karmakar

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