Queen of Indian gymnastics announces retirement
Dipa said that she will always be involved in gymnastics
Kiriti Dutta
AGARTALA, October 07, 2024: International gymnast ‘Padma Shri’ Dipa Karmakar announced her retirement from national and international gymnastics Monday. She had recently won a Gold Medal in the vaulting table at the 11th Asian Games held in Uzbekistan.
Known as the queen of Indian gymnastics, she made the announcement in the gymnasium hall of the NSRCC accompanied by her long-time coach Bishweshwar Nandi and fellow gymnasts.
Dipa, born in 1993 to SAI weightlifting coach Dulal and Gauri Karmakar, has been doing gymnastics since the age of 5. She began her career under SAI Coach Soma Nandi at the Vivekananda gymnasium. In 2009, Deepa made it to the first Indian team at the World Cup in Belgium.
Despite facing challenges and not achieving much success, she continued to develop her talent through advanced training at the SAI Center in Delhi. In 2016, Dipa made history by placing fourth at the Rio Olympics, becoming India's first woman gymnast to do so.
However, she faced controversy when she was fired by the World Gymnastics Federation for not participating in a dope test. Despite this setback, Dipa announced her retirement, stating that she will always be involved in gymnastics.
Her coach, Bishweshwar Nandi, expressed sadness about Dipa’s retirement but urged the state government to allow her to continue training in the gymnasium daily to inspire the next generation.
Dipa Karmakar / Gymnastics / SAI /