2016 Olympics Special Interview- Dipa Karmakar: Being in the Olympics Games Village was a dream come true

During my journey to the 2016 Rio Olympics and beyond, I had an unforgettable experience. The support I received from the then Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Injeti Srinivas during the pre-Olympics phase was tremendous. Since there was only basic equipment in Agartala then, I was allowed to train in Delhi, and new equipment was purchased specifically for me. Even today, gymnasts are using that same equipment for training. After qualifying for the Olympics, I gave my all during training under the guidance of my coach, Bishweshwar Nandi sir.

Once I reached the Games Village, it was like a dream for me. Initially, we could not find where the Indian contingent was staying. After finding them, I first met our hockey team players.

I cannot describe how the atmosphere was in the Village. It was an entirely different experience. But I kept my focus on training. My first target was to qualify for the vault final, and it was a big moment to achieve that. It was not easy as I was the first Indian to make it to that stage. There was none from whose experience I could benefit.

There was a seven-day gap between the qualification and final, and I looked around a bit during that time. There was a McDonald’s inside the Games Village and I noticed a familiar face there. He was none other than sprint superstar Usain Bolt. He was so tall! I could not take a photo with him, as I did not have a mobile phone at that time. But I was just so happy to see him there.

In the final, I did my best and was pleased with the points I received to finish fourth.

My goal was to exceed 15 points, and I achieved that with a score of 15.066. However, I felt disappointed when I found out that I narrowly missed out on a medal. When I returned to the Games Village, many people, including our chef-de-mission, Rakesh Gupta, praised my performance. They said it was hard luck that I missed out on a medal and compared my performance to that of legends like P.T. Usha and Milkha Singh. It was a proud feeling.

While returning, I initially thought that we would need to find a taxi from the airport since no one would be coming to receive us. However, my coach, Nandi sir, said, “You have no idea what’s happening in India.” I was overwhelmed by the grand welcome and felicitation I received at the Vivekananda Maidan in the presence of then Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Sports Minister Sahid Chowdhury. I had never seen such celebrations in Agartala, except for Independence Day or Republic Day.

I received awards and honours, but nothing was as significant as the recognition that Tripura and gymnastics gained after my performance in Rio. It inspired confidence in young people, who started practising gymnastics. Numerous gymnastic centres, both public and private, opened across the country.

The gymnastic centre in Agartala became operational with the latest equipment and a foam pit. Now, many kids train there. For us, the teacher-student combination, all of this was a great achievement.

As told to Y.B. Sarangi