All posts tagged: Dipa Karmakar

Former Asiad medallist Ashish Kumar dropped from GFI’s SOM roster over eligibility criteria

Former Asiad medallist Ashish Kumar dropped from GFI’s SOM roster over eligibility criteria

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The Gymnastics Federation of India has dropped former Commonwealth and Asian Games bronze-winner Ashish Kumar from its Sportspersons of Merit (SOM) roster as it responded to complaints of alleged irregularities in the selection process, describing them as a misunderstanding on being questioned by the Sports Ministry. As per the National Sports Governance Act, the SOM appointees are required to retire at least one year before applying for the position. Ashish and another gymnast Aditya Rana, who were included in GFI’s “provisional” SOM roster, competed as recently as April-May during a domestic event in Bhubaneswar. The Ministry sought GFIs response on complaints that they were included despite being ineligible. Former national champion Rakesh Kumar Patra, who is part of the revised SOM roster, was among the complainants. The GFI acknowledged including Ashish and Aditya based on their own declaration of being retired but said necessary “corrective action” was taken after scrutiny of applications and supporting documents, including retirement status. It also asserted that the action was initiated before Patra’s complaint on July 30. The GFI’s official …

Could Protistha Samanta have scored high with low-difficulty vaults in the final

Could Protistha Samanta have scored high with low-difficulty vaults in the final

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4 min readMumbaiJul 27, 2026 11:20 PM IST Protistha Samanta could not be faulted for how she performed in the CWG Artistic Gymnastics Vault final. On her two attempts with Difficulty values (D Score) of 4.4 and 4.0, the Indian finished with an average of 12.833. She had started 7th out of 8 gymnasts. She finished 7th, albeit Apparatus Finals tend to be scrutinised more than Qualification rounds by judges, and she scored lower than her Q score of 13.025. That incidentally was her career-best. So why was she never in medal contention? The gold went to Canadian sensation Lia Monica Fontaine. Avg score: 14.000. Lia’s vaults carried a starting Difficulty value of 5.0 and 4.8. Should she pull off a decent execution, 9.8 points were assured as D-Score. Protistha, on the other hand, was working with an 8.4 start, a full point less than the gold medallist. “Let’s be very clear. For her Difficulty levels, Protistha did extremely well to reach the final,” says former CWG medallist Ashish Kumar. “Even in the final, where …

CWG 2026 | Beyond Dipa’s Produnova: India’s next gymnasts bet on getting the basics right | Sports News

CWG 2026 | Beyond Dipa’s Produnova: India’s next gymnasts bet on getting the basics right | Sports News

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5 min readJul 24, 2026 07:25 PM IST Gymnasts speak about the bubble of fearlessness that coaches conjure around them, before they go leaping into unknowns. The assured faces hide storms within. “The 2014 Glasgow bronze medal was memorable because it was the first time I stuck a landing on the Produnova. My coach told me I would,” Dipa Karmakar recalls of a sunny late Glaswegian afternoon when magic began weaving for Indian women’s gymnastics. “I’m sure the new girls are going to change the colour of the Indian medal on vault,” she says, passing on the baton, wrapping it in the same glaze of confidence that is necessary for a gymnast to hear, before takeoff, when it defies reality even. Balance is linked to ears, and Dipa has confidently whispered the message that she believes in their abilities, into ears of Pranati Nayak, Eshita Rewale, Nishka Agarwal and Protistha Samanta who were all picked based on their vault strength as India mounts a medal challenge at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Unlike Dipa, the …

A look back before Glasgow 2026

A look back before Glasgow 2026

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India has won 564 medals – 203 golds, 189 silvers and 172 bronze at the Commonwealth Games since its debut in 1934. As the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games kickstart in two weeks, The Bridge takes a look at India’s glorious moments that gave us goosebumps and a sense of patriotism. India’s First Win – Rashid Anwar India’s Commonwealth Games journey began at the 1934 British Empire Games in London while still under colonial rule. A six-member contingent represented the country across ten track and field events and one wrestling category. It was in wrestling that India received it’s first breakthrough where Rashid Anwar etched his name in history by clinching a bronze medal in the men’s 74 kg freestyle event. Post independence, India didn’t compete in the 1950 Games and returned empty handed from the 1954 edition in Vancouver. India’s First Gold – Milkha Singh Four years later in Cardiff 1958, Milkha Singh, the legendary “Flying Sikh”, delivered India’s first ever gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, winning the men’s 440-yard race in 46.71 seconds. …

Two years filled with Indian sporting retirements

Two years filled with Indian sporting retirements

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A remarkable year of sporting transitions marks the Indian sporting landscape as legendary players hang up their national jerseys, closing pivotal chapters in their extraordinary careers. The period between 2024 and 2025 witnessed an unprecedented exodus of sporting icons across multiple disciplines, with veterans from hockey, tennis, badminton, football, and wrestling announcing their retirements. Each athlete brought a unique narrative of triumph, resilience, and unparalleled national pride to their farewell, leaving an indelible mark on Indian sports history. Hockey Hockey emerged as the most represented sport in this retirement wave. PR Sreejesh, widely regarded as one of India’s finest goalkeepers, concluded his illustrious 18-year international career after securing a historic back-to-back Olympic medal finish. His final match on August 8, 2024, during the Paris Olympics bronze medal game, was a fitting tribute to a career defined by extraordinary reflexes and leadership. Sreejesh’s journey from being a junior goalkeeper to becoming a national sporting icon symbolizes perseverance and dedication. Alongside Sreejesh, Vandana Katariya retired as the most celebrated women’s hockey player, boasting an extraordinary record of …

Double World Cup vault medallist gymnast Pranati Nayak still struggling to emerge from Dipa Karmakar’s shadow | Sport-others News

Double World Cup vault medallist gymnast Pranati Nayak still struggling to emerge from Dipa Karmakar’s shadow | Sport-others News

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It’s a perception that overwhelmed gymnast Pranati Nayak – the 29-year-old vaulter – and silently gnawed at her confidence, before she seemed to have resolved it in her mind this year. Pranati – without naming Dipa Karmakar ever – is always at pains to convince the world that she is a competent gymnast in her own right, though since both specialise in the same event, Indians expect her to fill the big shoes of the Rio Olympics fourth-place finisher, who is now retired. However, there is no question of comparing the two, both of whom have battled their own challenges. Pranati qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, but faded out with a sub-par performance. It brought her jibes from her fraternity, and reduced her to a loner who hid her tears even from her parents. Story continues below this ad Double World Cup vault medallist gymnast Pranati Nayak. (Special arrangement) Pranati wakes up each morning, and goes about her training, having shifted base from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar, where she has no friends or comfort of familiarity. …

“No Passion, They Look For…”: Olympian Dipa Karmakar Slams Current Generation Of Gymnasts

“No Passion, They Look For…”: Olympian Dipa Karmakar Slams Current Generation Of Gymnasts

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Just-retired Indian gymnastics star Dipa Karmakar believes most of the current generation of gymnasts lack passion and urged them to embrace the sport with fervour to excel on the global stage. Dipa, who blazed a trail by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to compete at the Olympics and finish a historic fourth in 2016 Rio Games, retired earlier this month, ending a career in which she inspired awe for routinely performing the highly-difficult Produnova vault. “There was junoon (passion) in Dipa, that is why. Same for Pranati,” she said when asked why there is only one Dipa or Pranati Nayak among Indian women gymnasts winning medals on the international stage. “I can’t see this junoon (passion) much in the current generation (of gymnasts). I feel they look for short term, instant success,” she said on Friday night during a panel discussion at an event titled ‘Beyond the Finish Line’, organised by Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. The diminutive 31-year-old from Tripura grabbed headlines with her fourth-place finish in the vault final of the …

Dipa Karmakar interview: ‘Those who called me a buffalo trying gymnastics had to receive me at the airport with bouquets after medal’ | Sport-others News

Dipa Karmakar interview: ‘Those who called me a buffalo trying gymnastics had to receive me at the airport with bouquets after medal’ | Sport-others News

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Indian pathbreaking gymnast Dipa Karmakar retired this week, calling time on her career on her own terms – after winning gold at the Asian Championships earlier in the year. She was taunted and called a ‘buffalo’ when she started out training on the deathly Produnova vault in 2014 – she responded with a CWG bronze. And she was accused of being ‘old and finished’ before she headed out to the Asian Championship at Tashkent – where she won gold in 2024. In an interview with Indian Express, the 31-year-old talks about the fire of ambition that perennially burnt inside her as she went about proving naysayers wrong while focusing on one of the toughest manoeuvrs in sport, and when she wasn’t sent to the Asian Games despite topping the Indian trials. And about ice cream that she will indulge in, now that she can go easy on her diet. Excerpts: Q. Why did you decide to retire? Dipa Karmakar: I feel extremely emotional because it’s been 25 years of my life. It’s gone now. But …

The legend of Dipa Karmakar: List of all achievements

The legend of Dipa Karmakar: List of all achievements

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Dipa Karmakar has just announced her retirement from gymnastics, drawing to an end a glorious career in the sport of gymnastics, a sport India had not made a mark in until Dipa came. The girl from Tripura had to cross many obstacles in her journey of becoming one of India’s finest-ever gymnasts and she reached the summit in 2016, when she represented India at the Olympics. We at The Bridge have put together a collection of her achievements. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐲𝐦𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭! 🥹 “I still remember that five year old Dipa, who was told that because of her flat foot she can’t become a gymnast,” Dipa took social media to announce her farewell… pic.twitter.com/L7Q3pApIHL — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) October 7, 2024 First Indian to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games The 2014 Commonwealth Games was when Dipa Karmakar shot to fame, as she became the first Indian female gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games. Dipa won a bronze medal in the event and thus began her illustrious …

Gymnast Dipa Karmakar announces retirement: ‘It feels like the right time’ | Sport-others News

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Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar on Monday announced her retirement with a social media post saying this was the right time to hang her boots. “After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from competitive gymnastics. This is not an easy decision, but it feels like the right time,” she said in a statement. “Gymnastics has been at the centre of my life for as long as I can remember, and I am grateful for every moment—the highs, the lows, and everything in between,” she added. Signing off from the mat! ❤️ Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey. Onto the next chapter🤸🏻‍♀️🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/kW5KQZLr29 — Dipa Karmakar (@DipaKarmakar) October 7, 2024 She also stated that she was proud of whatever she has achieved, stating that the Produnova Vault that she performed in the Rio Olympics was the most special moment of her career. “I still remember the 5-year-old Dipa who was told that she couldn’t be a gymnast because of her flat feet. Today I feel proud to see …