New Delhi: Dipa Karmakar has scripted history by becoming the first Indian to be named as 'World Class Gymnast' by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique or FIG.
The confirmation for the 'World Class Gymnast' was confirmed in a letter from Secretary General Andre Gueisbuhler to the Gymnastics Federation of India,the same was confirmed today.
Since 1947, there were 11 Indian male gymnasts who have taken part in Olympics (two in 1952, three in 1956 and six in 1964). However, this is the first time that a woman gymnast has qualified for the summer games.
Dipa Karmakar, who has won a gold medal in the women's vaults finals at the Olympic test event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, scored 52.698 points from that event to book a berth at the biggest show on earth this year.
Her journey from humble beginnings in her hometown of Agartala is testimony to her hard work and determination. The daughter of a weightlifting coach at the SAI centre in Agartala, Dipa started gymnastics from the early age of six. She is trained by coach Bisbeshwar Nandi.
The 22-year-old has already created history by winning bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
There was a time when Dipa’s flat feet made her initial days in the sport quite tough and used to affect the spring in her jump but she conquered her fear and improved rapidly.
