Anand Mahindra hails Dipa Karmakar for winning gold at Asian championships

Anand Mahindra wrote a heartfelt message after Dipa Karmakar won gold at the Asian Gymnastics Championships. Here's what he said

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar scripted history as she clinched a gold medal in the women's vault apparatus at the Asian Gymnastics Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The achievement has garnered widespread praise across the country. 

Anand Mahindra, the chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra, couldn't hold himself back from congratulating the 30-year-old gymnast in a special post and sharing a heartfelt post celebrating Karmakar's inspiring journey and significant milestone.

Mahindra shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) and mentioned how Dipa Karmakar was talking about her injury and hurdles back in March and now she has won the prestigious Asian championships. He wrote, “And more Monday Motivation. Just back in March, Dipa Karmakar was talking about her injury & the hurdles she had to cross. It was the love for the sport, she said, which kept her going. And yesterday she became the first indian gymnast to win at the prestigious Asian championship, topping the podium in the women’s vault. Keep Rising, Dipa.”

                                

She achieved this feat after suffering from a number of struggles like two knee surgeries and a 21-month suspension for a doping violation. In October 2021, she found a violation of doping by the World Anti-Doping Agency. She also tested positive for higenamine, a substance found in dietary supplements. She claimed that she unknowingly ingested the banned substance.

Karmakar secured a 13.566 in the vault final on the last day of the competitions in Uzbekistan's capital city and won the yellow metal. On the other end, North Korea's Kim Son Hyang (13.466) and Jo Kyong Byol (12.966) won silver and bronze medals.

In the Rio Olympics 2024, Karmakar finished fourth, however, she secured a bronze medal in the same event in the 2015 edition. 

Karmakar also achieved a rare feat when she secured a gold medal at the 2018 FIG World Cup in Mersin, Turkiye, and became the finest Indian to win the yellow metal at a global gymnastics event. 

Karmarkan made a comeback on the world stage and while speaking to The Hindu, she said she couldn't express how happy she felt. She explained that this performance came after surgeries and suspension and not the gymnast has done this. She thanked her coach Nandi Sir (Bishweshwar). “He has been with me through all her difficult times,” she added.