Dipa Karmakar bids farewell to gymnastics, thanks fans for their support

Dipa Karmakar who blazed a trail by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to compete at the Olympics and finish a historic fourth announced her retirement on Monday ending a career in which she inspired awe for routinely performing the highlydifficult Produnova vaultThe diminutive 31yearold from Tripura grabbed headlines with her fourthplace finish in the vault final of the 2016 Rio Games losing an Olympic medal by just 015 pointsAfter 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 statementGymnastics 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 betweenDipa said she hopes to give back to the sport by becoming a coach at some point in her life or she might simply remain a supporter of the next generation of gymnasts following their dreamsAlso ReadWe asked Dipa answeredHailing from Agartala Dipa is one of only five women in gymnastics history to have successfully executed the Produnova which involves two somersaults before landing and is called the vault of death owing to the high risk of injury it posesWhen I look back I feel an overwhelming sense of pride for everything Ive achieved Representing India on the world stage winning medals and most memorably performing the Produnova vault at the Rio Olympics will forever be cherished as the pinnacle of my career she saidThese moments were not just victories for me they were victories for every young girl in India who dared to dream who believed that with hard work and determination anything is possibleDipa was initiated to the sport when she was only six and was coached by Soma Nandi and Bishweshwar Nandi who remained her mentor throughout her career guiding her to several international medals and fameAs a child Dipa had flat feet a physical condition which would have ended her dream of becoming a gymnast But through extensive training she was able to develop an arch in her footI remember the 5yearold Dipa who was told would not be able to become a gymnast because of having flat feet she wroteAdd to this she had to train at inadequatelyequipped gyms while growing up and her journey to the Rio Games became an inspiring tale for gymnastsView this post on InstagramA post shared by Dipa Karmakar dipakarmakarofficialDipas quest for sporting glory began in 2008 when she won the Junior Nationals in JalpaiguriShe first shot to limelight when she won a vault bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to win a medal in the eventShe also won a bronze at the Asian Championships in 2015 and finished fifth at the 2015 World Championships both being firsts for any Indian female gymnastFollowing the 2016 Rio Olympics Dipa faced significant challenges including injuries and subsequent surgeryShe however came back strongly by winning top position at the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Turkey becoming the first Indian gymnast to secure a gold medal at a global eventLater that year she won a bronze medal at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus GermanyIn 2021 despite facing several career setbacks Dipa clinched a gold medal at the Asian Gymnastics Championships in TashkentBut my last victory at the Asian Gymnastics Championship in Tashkent was a turning point After that win I truly believed I could push my body to reach new heights again But sometimes our bodies tell us its time to rest even when our hearts want to keep going she saidAlso Read Gymnast Dipa Karmakar on Simone Biles pressure on athletes and boxing controversyDipas career was not without controversies and she was suspended for nearly two years after testing positive for a banned stimulant Higenamine which is also used for treatment of asthama and coughThe test was conducted in October 2021 but nobody in India knew that she had failed a dope test at that time Her ban period lasted till July 10 2023But her career is dotted with more accolades than embarrassmentsDipa has been honoured with the Padma Shri Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award for her outstanding achievementsAs I step away from the competitive arena I do so with a heart full of memories and lessons that will stay with me forever I have given my blood sweat and tears to this sport and in return it has given me a life full of purpose pride and endless possibilitiesI am forever grateful to my coaches teammates support staff and most importantly to all of you the fans who have stood by me through every high and low said DipaWith agency inputs