Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar has announced her official retirement from professional competition. After giving 25 years to the sport, Dipa, a prominent and celebrated figure in the world of gymnastics, decided to take a step back due to the physical demands of the sport on her body.
In a social media post, Dipa shared that she decided to retire from competitive gymnastics after much thought and reflection. She said, it was not an easy decision, but it felt like the right time.
Dipa has achieved several career milestones in her exceptional career. In 2014, Karmakar won a bronze medal in the vault category at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the first Indian woman to win in the gymnastic category. She won another bronze medal at the Asian Championships in 2015. A landmark achievement in Dipa’s career was her performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She made history as the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the final vault event, where she secured an impressive fourth place.
Following the Rio Olympics, Dipa Karmakar faced significant challenges, including numerous injuries and multiple surgeries. Despite these hardships, she won a gold medal at the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Turkey, becoming the first Indian gymnast to secure a gold medal at a global event.
In 2021, despite facing several career setbacks, Dipa Karmakar demonstrated remarkable resilience by clinching a gold medal at the Asian Gymnastics Championships in Tashkent.
Throughout her illustrious career, Dipa Karmakar has been honoured with numerous prestigious awards and accolades. These include the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award; the Arjuna Award for her outstanding achievements in sports; and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports honour.