Tripura’s Dipa emerges top with five gold medals in the 34th National Games 2011
Tripura’s Dipa Karmakar sparkled in the gymnastics arena clinching four gold medals on Sunday to take her haul to five, the highest by any gymnast in the 34th National Games.
After taking the all round individual title on Saturday, Karmakar clinched the girls’ table vault, uneven bars, floor exercises and balanced beam during the day to emerge top in the individual medal list followed by Maharashtra’s Aksheta Shate who took four gold medals in the Rhythmic gymnastics on Thursday.
“This is the first time that I have participated in a national games, and am very happy to have won five gold medals. The credit goes to my father and coach for grooming me as a gymnast,” an elated Dipa said soon after winning her fifth gold medal.
Commonwealth silver and Asian Games bronze medallist Ashish Kumar on Sunday won the gold in the ring while Jharkhand’s Partho Mandal snapped the yellow metal in the Pommel Horse to give the host the lone medal in the gymnastic competitions.
This was Kumar’s second gold medal after he won the all round individual gold on Saturday.
SSCB’s Pawan Bhambore picked the gold medal in floor exercises while fellow teammate Zia-ur-Rahman took the gold in floor exercises.
Uttar Pradesh’s Iqrar Hassan and SSCB’s Raja Roy won gold medals in horizontal bar and parallel bars respectively.
A total of ten out of twenty gold medals, in both men and women, were decided on the last day of the last three-day competition.
Following is Sunday’s medal standings in gymnastic competitions; Tripura – Four gold medals, UP – Two gold medals, three silvers and three bronze medals.
SSCB – three gold, two silvers and two bronze medals, Jharkhand – one gold only, West Bengal – two silver medals and one bronze medal, Maharashtra – one silver medal only, Punjab – one silver and one bronze medal.
Following is the overall medal table of the 3-day gymnastics competitions:
Maharashtra – seven gold, three silver and four bronze medals, Tripura – five gold medals only, SSCB – four gold, three silver and two bronze medals, UP – three gold, four silver and three bronze medals, Jharkhand – one gold only, Punjab – Four silver and three bronze medals, West Bengal – three silver and one bronze medal, J&K – two silver and one bronze medal, Andhra Pradesh – one silver and six bronze medals.
After setting a record by bagging five golds in the 34th National Games in Jharkhand, Tripura girl Dipa Karmakar now dreams of becoming the best gymnast in Asia.
“If I get suitable equipments, I can easily beat Asian girls including those of China and Japan,” said Dipa confidently on arriving here late Tuesday evening after setting a record in the National Games.
The 17-year-old gymnast made her maiden appearance in the National Games and showed efficiency and fluency in vault, uneven bars, beam and floor exercises – on her way to five golds, including the overall crown.
Thrilled by the huge reception at airport, Dipa told reporters: “Tripura has a tradition to achieve success in the gymnasts. If the Tripura boys and girls get appropriate coaching, equipments and scope, they will do well even at the international events.”
“The credit for my success goes to my coach Bisweshwar Nandi. I have dedicated all my medals to him,” said Dipa, who also represented India in the Guangzhou Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year.
“Sunday was my life’s best moment when I became the allround individual champion in my first appearance in the National Games.”
Nandi, a former international gymnast, has coached Dipa since she was a child and feels she can go far with adequate support.
“I have always told everybody that Dipa has huge talent and skill and can do wonders in gymnastics if she gets adequate support,” said Nandi, a ten-time national champion.
The Tripura government, the Tripura Gymnastic Association, the Tripura Olympic Association and other sports organisations are now busy giving a huge formal reception to Dipa next month after her higher secondary examination, which begins Feb 28.
Deepa’s father and Sports Authority of India (SAI)’s weightlifting coach Dulal Karmakar said: “Tripura always has done well in India for gymnastics. On earlier occasions, several Tripura gymnasts had received medals in the national and international events.”
The proud father claimed that his daughter is determined to be one among the top gymnasts in the sub-continent.
He, however, felt that proper and modern equipment, similar to those used in China, Japan and Korea, were seriously needed to achieve the target.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar also met the golden girl and wished her success in future.
“We would extend allout support to you in the 2012 Olympics. After your performance in the Asian Games and at the Commonwealth Games, we hope you would do better in the next edition,” Sarkar was quoted by an official as saying to Dipa.
