Not so long ago, Dipa Karmakar had to be shielded from the intense media glare by her coach Bishweshwar Nandi and Sports Authority of India officials as she prepared to make history at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She reached where no other Indian had reached before—a credible fourth in the women's vault. However, an injury to the right knee forced her out of action for over a year and a half. But she continues to be one of the most sought after athletes despite being out of action. She has resumed training but has not made it to the Indian gymnastics team for the Commonwealth Games in April in Gold Coast, Australia. Her target is Asian Games, to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in August later this year.
“My coach felt I was not ready yet for the CWG. I have started training as well as landing. I did not feel any problem while doing so,” said 24-year-old Karmakar. She was speaking on the sidelines of the Indian Olympic Association's event announcing the sponsor of the Indian contingent for the CWG 2018, Asian Games 2018 and Olympics 2020.
Karmakar's pursuit of the dangerous Produnova vault is what brought her fame and glory. However, there are reports that she is now looking to give it up and master another vault. She is unwilling to reveal her plans as of now. “Yes, I am trying to do something else, one must try some other things, too. Let's wait and see how it all works out,” she said.
India's presence in gymnastics at the world level is in its nascent stages. It was Ashish Kumar who won India's first ever medal in gymnastics, with a bronze and a silver in Commonwealth Games 2010, followed by a bronze in the Asian Games same year. It took six years for India to win a medal again in gymnastics, thanks to Karmakar. The question of who after her was always a natural progression. It hasn't helped matters that gymnastics is governed abysmally by a faction-ridden body.
Aruna Reddy | via Facebook
However, Aruna Budda Reddy's historic bronze in the gymnastics World Cup in Melbourne has, for the moment, shown that Kumar and Karmakar's feats were no flash in the pans. The 22-year-old from Hyderabad is part of the CWG gymnastics squad. Speaking about Reddy, a delighted Karmakar said, “She is my roommate and good friend. She came into the national camp in 2011 and we have been together since. Recently, she went for a month-long training in Uzbekistan before the World Cup. We all expect a gold from her at the CWG,” she said.