Olympian Dipa Karmakar retires from gymnastics

Dipa Karmakar is India’s first female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics

Indian gymnastics star Dipa Karmakar on Monday announced her official retirement from sports, ending a career full of historic achievements and challenges. The 31-year-old gymnast made the announcement on her Instagram account.

Karmakar, who was the first female gymnast from India to qualify for the Olympics, said that the physical strain through vaulting was the main reason for not pursuing sports anymore.

In her retirement post, she wrote, “After much thought, I’ve made this decision that I’m retiring from gymnastics. This decision wasn’t easy for me, but this is the right time.”

The Agartala-born gymnast expressed gratitude for her journey, saying, “Gymnastics has been a very big part of my life, and I am grateful for every moment – the highs, the lows, and everything in between.”

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A post shared by Dipa Karmakar 💛🧿 (@dipakarmakarofficial)

Karmakar’s career has been more than full of firsts. She became the first Indian female gymnast who participated in the Olympics and the first Indian gymnast to qualify for an Olympic apparatus final. Her performance of the dangerous Produnova vault in Rio captured the nation’s attention and put Indian gymnastics on the world map.

In her farewell message, Karmakar reflected on her achievements: “I still remember that Dipa who had flat feet. Today, when I look at my achievements, I feel very proud. Representing India on the world stage, winning medals, and especially the Rio Olympics – performing the Produnova vault remains the most memorable moment of my career.”

Also Read: Top 10 Indian athletes who narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal

Karmakar’s last success came earlier in 2024, where she won gold in vault event at Asian Gymnastics Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She became India’s first gymnast to win a continental title in women’s artistic gymnastics.

Notwithstanding, Karmakar’s journey was not that easy. She faced two ACL surgeries and also suffered a 21-month ban for a doping violation during her competitive period. It definitely hurt her training time and competitive opportunities. Still, she came strongly back to make a win of her sixth National Championships all-around title in 2024.

In her Instagram post, Karmakar hinted at the physical challenges that led to her retirement: “My last victory at the Asian Gymnastics Championship in Tashkent was a turning point. I felt that I could push my body further, but sometimes our body doesn’t agree with what our heart wants.”

The gymnast expressed her gratitude to her coaches, Bishweshwar Nandi and Soma Nandi, who guided her for 25 years. She also thanked the Tripura government, Gymnastics Federation, Sports Authority of India, GoSports Foundation, and Meraki Sport & Entertainment for their support throughout her career.

Although Karmakar is signing off her duties as a player she has indicated that her connection with gymnastics isn’t entirely over. She expressed a desire to give back to the sport, possibly as a mentor or coach, to support future gymnasts.

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