Ready to Help Dipa in Every Possible Way, Says SAI DG

KOCHI: When Dipa Karmakar’s name was included on the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, everyone thought it to be just another gesture to encourage her. Not too many believed she would qualify for the Olympics. After all, she was struggling from an ankle injury.

Barely fourteen months ago, even coach Bisweshwar Nandi looked worried. He did not know about the future of his ward. She stumbled at the Asian Games with injury, after a historic bronze at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. That was just a few weeks before the National Games in Thiruvananthapuram.

Dipa had a swollen right ankle then, and needed support from a tightly-woven bandage — a ritual she practiced at the Asiad. She had picked up the injury during CWG. For a gymnast, injuring ankles is akin to sword fighting with a blunt sabre. Not only does the injury curtail movement, it also leaves a shadow of doubt in the mind of the athlete. “Once the ankle is injured, it means trouble for a gymnast. Even if they recuperate, they will always have a fear in their mind about the injury recurring,” Nandi had said with an air of concern.

Now, all the pain the 22-year-old had endured has borne fruit. She has qualified for Olympics in vault — the first Indian woman to do so.There was a time when Dipa was sent away from the SAI selection camp after she ‘failed’ a medical test. Now SAI is offering her whatever help they can. “We have been helping her during her training and will do whatever she needs in future. If she wants to go abroad for training or wants some assistance from any expert coach, we will provide her that. I know she is happy with Nandi and he should be credited for her growth. But we are ready to chip in with whatever help she needs,” SAI DG Injeti Srinivas told Express.
TOPS chairman Anju Bobby George said Dipa has received `20 lakh under TOP Scheme so far and is bound to receive more depending on her needs. It seems the entire administration is conspiring to help Dipa fulfill her Olympic dream.