NEW DELHI: Ace Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar secured her place in the Asian Games squad by emerging victorious in the selection trials held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
This comes after a 21-month suspension due to a doping violation, as Dipa was making her comeback to competitive gymnastics.
During the trials on Tuesday, the 29-year-old Dipa, who narrowly missed out on a bronze in 2016 Rio Olympics, scored 47.05 to claim the top spot in the all-around event. Pranati Das and Pranati Nayak finished second and third with scores of 45.80 and 44.43, respectively.
In the men's Senior Individual category, Yogeshwar Singh from Haryana took first place with a score of 76.30, followed by Rakesh Patra from Odisha with a score of 76.20. Tapan Mohanty, also from Odisha, secured the third spot with a score of 74.60.
Dipa's selection in the Asiad squad is a significant achievement for her, considering her past success and the challenges she faced during her suspension. Her comeback will be eagerly anticipated by gymnastics enthusiasts as she aims to represent India at the Asian Games.
"I am satisfied with Dipa's performance. She made a good comeback. She still is not at her best and has slight pain in her right knee but there is time and I am sure, she will only get better from here on," Dipa's coach Bishweshwar Nandi told PTI.
"It is not easy to come back after such a long time, so I am very happy."
The event, organised by the Gymnastics Federation of India in association with Sports & Youth Services Department, Odisha, saw the top gymnasts from the country vying to establish their place as part of the core group of the Indian Gymnastics team ahead of the Asian Games.
(With PTI inputs)
