The state of sports in India is notoriously pathetic. When it comes to funding any sport other than cricket, sports authorities in the country are mysteriously miserly. Recently, however, with the qualification of Dipa Karmakar to the final round of her Olympic event, Gymnastics as a legitimate sport is getting attention in the country.
When Dipa first qualified for the Olympics, she did it in style. She successfully landed on her feet after performing a vault with a difficulty rating of 7.00. At that time, she was only the third successful gymnast to execute the Produnova – which has been called the “vault of death” in popular culture.
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Her Olympic qualification was the cause for much celebration in her home state of Tripura and throughout the country. India saw its last Olympic participation in Gymnastics in 1964, back when there was no qualification system in place. However, with all the celebration, it later transpired that Dipa was not allowed to take any of her sporting staff with her to the Olympics.
Also Watch: Video: Dipa Karmakar speaks about her struggles to reach the top
It was earlier reported that SAI considered the expense of allowing her physio to accompany her to Rio as “wasteful”. Dipa's coach, Bisheshwar Nandi, was the only member of her coaching group allowed with her. However, after her amazing performance and brilliant qualification, Dipa's physio is reportedly being rushed to Rio on very short notice.
Sajad Ahmad Mir, the personal physio in question, is currently on his way to Rio. Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports and current Rajya Sabha MP affiliated to the BJP, Vijay Goel is said to have a role to play in speeding up the process of getting Mir to join the 23-year old gymnast before her final round.
The Minister has since assured the country, saying that Dipa had a physiotherapist with her since the beginning of the world games. He further asserted that both Dipa and her coach were happy with the arrangements the SAI had procured for them.
This statement goes in direct contradiction with what was reported earlier, about the gymnast having to train for the vault of her life with sub-standard arrangements. Even if this is true, it is still worth pondering on why she had to rely on a travelling physio when she specifically asked for a personal one. Since the beginning of Rio 2016, Dipa has emerged as a medal hope for the country. India's current medal tally stands at 0.
Only after her qualification was she taken seriously by the authorities back in India for the first time. It has provided just the right boost needed to get things on track to ensure that she faces no further obstacles in her road to glory. Questions may be asked as to why these steps were not taken earlier and why a historical qualification was given such poor treatment.
Dipa is finally getting noticed by all the right people despite representing the country in a sport that is not mainstream. That is an achievement in itself.
