Farewell, Dipa Karmakar: Gymnast Has No Grudges, but Did the System Fail Her?

Battling injuries and other obstacles, Dipa Karmakar believes she gave gymnastics all she could. Did the system?

Gymnast Dipa Karmakar has announced her retirement.

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

“I wanted to prove main abhi zinda hoon (I am still alive),” declared Dipa Karmakar, India’s solitary female gymnast to have competed in the Olympics, the nation’s beloved ‘Produnova Girl,’ during an interview with The Quint in January.

To contextualise her statement, Dipa had orchestrated an incredible comeback – almost unimaginable for a 31-year-old gymnast who had undergone surgeries.

Dipa returned to the Artistic Gymnastics Senior Nationals after an eight-year hiatus and clinched three medals. Her next goal was international glory – a target she achieved in May when she became the first Indian gymnast to secure gold at the Asian Championships.

Yet, on 7 October – merely ten months since stating she felt alive – Dipa announced her retirement from the sport.

What led her to call the curtains?

Dipa tells The Quint:

I remember telling you ‘Dipa Karmakar zinda hai,’ but the circumstances were different (in January). After being out of the scene for 4-5 years, I made a grand comeback. By winning those three medals, I made a statement – that my chapter is not finished yet. But then, things changed over the last few months.

Dipa Karmakar

She elaborated on the toll her body had taken:

My body was not permitting me to push the limits anymore. I have had to deal with numerous injuries in my career. It felt as if the time had arrived for me to listen to my body, so I decided to retire. Ek din khatam to hona hi tha (I had to retire one day).

Dipa Karmakar

While her retirement came as a shock to many, Dipa's reasoning is clear.

I had to deal with unbearable pain to win the gold medal in the Asian Championships. I had a wrist fracture; my knees were hurting a lot. Despite the pain, I was determined to bring home a medal. I am happy that I achieved that, but after the event, I realised that I should not push my body when it is simply not allowing me to. There was no point in extending my career.

Dipa Karmakar

What Led to Dipa’s Non-Participation at Paris Olympics

Dipa had expressed her desire to compete in the Paris Olympics during the conversation in January, but multiple deterrents thwarted that ambition. Most notable among those were the lack of clarity from the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI), and the dearth of financial support.

I was determined to compete in the Paris Olympics, but unfortunately, it was not to be. Our qualification attempt lacked clarity, both from SAI and GFI’s end. I had to bear my expenses for the World Cup in Cairo. I am not sure why I had to pay for my trip, despite winning medals at the Senior Nationals. If even the senior gymnasts like me are not being supported, you can imagine what it is like for others.

Dipa Karmakar

‘I Hold No Grudges’

Barring injuries, administrative obstacles also had a role to play in hindering Dipa’s progress. The former gymnast, though, does not hold any grudges.

I don’t hold any grudges against anyone. All I know is that I worked very hard to bring pride to my nation. When I was a child, no one could have imagined a girl from India will be competing in gymnastics at the Olympics, or win a gold medal at the Asian Championships. But today, it is the reality. I hope my achievements motivate the juniors to bring more glory to India, and they don’t have to face the obstacles which I faced.

Dipa Karmakar

Elaborating on how India’s floundering gymnastics scene can be resurrected, she adds:

I won’t say the scene is very promising right now, especially for the girls. But we do have talent. What we need to ensure first of all is that our gymnasts can focus only on the sport and nothing else. I was engulfed in a lot of other obstacles, which affected my growth.

Dipa Karmakar

Pathway To Possible Success

Dipa has often been vocal about the requirement of more camps for the holistic growth of Indian gymnastics. Along those lines, she says:

We need to organise more camps. I had raised this issue during our previous conversation in January, yet, I don’t think a single camp has been organised since then. Camps are very important because it brings the juniors and seniors together. More juniors will be inspired by seeing what the seniors are doing, and naturally, they will want to replicate it. Besides that, we should send our gymnasts to more competitions. In the last Olympic qualification cycle, we went to only three of the four World Cups. The reason was never explained to me.

Dipa Karmakar

Why Asian Championships Gold Was Dipa’s Greatest Achievement

In her retirement note on social media, Dipa poignantly mentioned being told not to waste her time in gymnastics, for it was not meant for a girl with flat feet.

She feels she might have believed the notion, had it not been for her parents.

I want to thank my parents before anyone else. They encouraged a girl with flat feet to do gymnastics. Had it not been for them, that girl with flat feet would not have received awards from the president thrice. Then, I would thank my coach, because he has been a constant pillar of support for 25 years.

Dipa Karmakar

On being asked to pick her greatest achievement, she says:

Every achievement is memorable, but if I had to mention anyone in particular, I would pick my latest – gold medal at the Asian Championships. It was special because it came after five years of constant negativity. People were saying ‘Dipa is old now,’ some were saying ‘She is now good for nothing.’ When you win a medal after hearing such comments, the victory tastes sweet.

Dipa Karmakar

A Dream Still Unrealised

For all that she has achieved in her career – most of them being unprecedented – finishing fourth in the 2014 Rio Olympics still haunts her, and always will.

It is human nature to never be satisfied with what you have achieved. I am not an exception in this regard, as I will always rue finishing fourth in the Rio Olympics. Missing out on a medal by such a narrow margin will always haunt me. But having said that, I can take a lot of pride in what I have achieved. Indians started showing interest in gymnastics after the Rio Olympics, new avenues were opened for aspiring female wrestlers. Besides that, people became aware of Tripura being an Indian state. Earlier, no one would speak about us.

Dipa Karmakar

She has not given up on the dream, though, and wishes to fulfil it as a coach.

My athletic career might be over, but I am not saying goodbye to gymnastics altogether. It is in my blood, I am nothing without gymnastics. If Indian gymnastics ever needs me for the nation’s betterment, be it as a coach, mentor or in any capacity, I will always be ready to serve my nation again. It was my dream to win an Olympic medal, and it remains an unfulfilled dream. I wish to someday see an Indian gymnast on the Olympic podium.

Dipa Karmakar