Gymnastics in India

Gymnastics came of age in India, when at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Ashish Kumar won the first-ever medal in gymnastics, he won a bronze medal.[1] However, soon after the win, the President of the Gymnastics Federation of India asked Ashish's Chief Coach from the Soviet Union, Vladimir Chertkov: "Is this all that you can deliver, a bronze?" The comment was widely reported in the press.

Gymnastics in India
Gymnastics in Delhi
Governing bodyGymnastics Federation of India

Later, the coach revealed that "In August 2009, we had no equipment. Ashish trained on hard floor till February 2010, and then we got equipment around 20 years old." Also, the Federation announced that no Indian team would travel to Rotterdam for the World Championships in October, which meant that Indian gymnasts automatically would not qualify as a team for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[2][3] Ashish also won a silver medal in the Men's vault at 2010 Commonwealth Games.

It was Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, from where India's path in gymnastics started taking shape slowly, when Dipa Karmakar from Tripura, a small state of India, went on to win a bronze medal in the Women's vault finale and performed the Produnova vault with a score of 15.1 (D-7, Ex- 8.1).[4] With this attempt she became the fifth gymnast to ever execute the Produnova, just after legendary gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, who executed it multiples times. In October 2015, Karmakar became the first Indian gymnast to qualify for a final stage at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Later in 2016 when she qualified for Rio Olympics, she became the first Indian gymnast to do so and also hours after her qualification at 2016 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event she clinched a gold medal in the Women's vault event stunning Oksana Chusovitina with her Prudunova again who came second to her.[5] On 6 July 2016, FIG honored Dipa by naming her World Class Gymnast.[6] At Rio Olympics, she achieved 4th place in vaults. After a long break due to injury when she ran for vaults and landed with a gold at World Challenge Cup series.[7] Her medal is one of the first medals won by any Indian at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, second only to Aruna Reddy's bronze for individual vaults at FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Melbourne.[8]

Notable gymnasts

Notable coaches


References
  1. "I could have got gold had equipment arrived earlier: CWG medallist Ashish". Hindustan Times. 9 October 2010.
  2. Swamy, V Narayan (9 October 2010). "Officials ask Ashish's coach: Only a bronze?". The Times of India.
  3. "No Worlds for India: Coach Blasts Federation". International Gymnast Magazine. 10 October 2010.
  4. "After a flight, a landing: Why Dipa Karmakar's medal in Commonwealth Games is its bravest bronze". The Indian Express. 18 April 2016.
  5. "After historic Olympic qualification, Dipa Karmakar wins gold in vaults". Times of India. 18 April 2016.
  6. "FIG names Dipa karmakar 'World Class Gymnast'". ESPN. 1 November 2016.
  7. "Dipa Karmakar wins gold at the Gymnastics World Cup". The Hindu. 8 July 2018.
  8. "Aruna Budda Reddy clinches historic bronze, becomes first Indian gymnast to win medal at Gymnastics World Cup". First Post. 25 February 2018.


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