Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar announces retirement

Hyderabad: Indian gymnastics athlete Dipa Karmakar announced her retirement from the sport on Monday.

Dipa Karmakar shot to fame at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when she missed a bronze medal in the vault event by just 0.15 points. She finished an agonising fourth.

Dipa is the first Indian gymnast to compete at the Olympics.

The 31-year-old, in a statement on social media, decided to call it a day after feeling that it is the right time’. “After much thought and reflection, I have decided to retire from competitive gymnastics. This is not an easy decision, but it feels like the right time,” she said.

The celebrated gymnast said the sport has always been at the centre of her life. “Gymnastics has been at the centre of my life for as long as I can remember, and I am grateful for every moment—the highs, the lows, and everything in between,” she added.

She hinted that she might be associated with the sport in a different capacity. “Signing off from the mat! Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey. Onto the next chapter,” she captioned her post.

She is also the first Indian gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games when she won the bronze medal in the 2014 edition of the CWG. She won the gold medal at the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Turkey and then a bronze medal in the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Cottbus.

She, however, of late has been struggling with injuries and that could have also played a huge part in her announcing her retirement.

Dipa Karmakar was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.