"Dipa Karmakar is heartbroken" - Coach Bishweshshwar Nandi on Asian Games 2023 

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar’s chances of competing in the Asian Games 2023 are all but over after the Sports Ministry approved 634 athletes for participation in the mega event, on Friday, August 25.

Karmakar popularized gymnastics as a sport among millions of Indians after her noteworthy fourth-placed finish in the vault event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. However, the Olympian won’t fly to China in September despite topping the trials and getting the nod from the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI).

The Sports Ministry rejected GFI’s entry for Dipa Karmakar in the Asian Games 2023 as she didn’t fall under the qualification criteria of the concerned ministry.

According to a rule of the Sports Ministry, dated July 10, 2023, athletes for individual events should have better performance in the last 12 months than the 8th-placed athlete of their respective sporting category in the 2018 Asian Games.

Since 2019, Dipa Karmakar was out of action due to injuries and was subsequently slapped with a 21-month doping suspension. Incidentally, the suspension period ended on July 10, the same day when the Sports Ministry revealed the qualification criteria rule.

Speaking to The New Indian Express over the omission of Karmakar, her coach Bishweshshwar Nandi said:

“Dipa is heartbroken. This is the first time I am seeing that a team is being selected on the basis of past performance. Even as a coach and earlier as a player, we always selected athletes based on current performance and form.

“But this time it was based on past performances. This is not good for Indian gymnastics and will take the sport backward.”

"More players should have been considered in gymnastics" - Dipa Karmakar's coach

Asian Gymnastics Championships 2022 bronze medallist Pranati Nayak was the lone entry approved by the Sports Ministry out of the nine recommended by the GFI. Apart from Karmakar, the entire men’s contingent for gymnastics was also rejected.

Speaking on Nayak’s inclusion and why Karmakar deserved to join the West Bengal gymnast in the quadrennial event, Bishweshshwar said:

“If Dipa would not have topped the trials, I would have never spoken for her. She is in good nick and would have done well. I must congratulate Pranati (Nayak) who qualified and hope she does well. But more players should have been considered in gymnastics.”

Apart from artistic gymnastics, not a single gymnast from India has qualified for the rhythmic and trampoline disciplines for the multi-sport event.