Asian Games Exclusion Is De-motivating And Discouraging: Gymnast Dipa Karmakar

Left out of the Indian squad for the Asian Games, a fuming Dipa Karmakar on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Ministry for leaving her de-motivated and discouraged with their "deafening silence". The gymnast, who achieved a historic fourth place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics, recently topped the Asian Games trials in her event but was excluded from the Indian squad as she didn't fulfil criteria of a top-eight finish in the last 12 months.

In her case, it was not possible as she was serving a two-year ban due to anti-doping violation.

Two days after her coach Bisheshwar Nandi lashed out at SAI, Dipa took to social media to vent her anger and helplessness.

"On this Independence Day, I am using my freedom of speech to discuss recent events that have proven to be very demotivating and discouraging. The #AsianGames2023, an event I have eagerly anticipated for the past two years, looks further than it is," she wrote on X, formerly twitter.

On this #IndependenceDay, I am using my freedom of speech to discuss recent events that have proven to be very demotivating and discouraging. The #AsianGames2023, an event I have eagerly anticipated for the past two years, looks further than it is. (1/N)

The government criteria states that athletes' performance in individual events during the last 12 months should not fall below the performance achieved by the eighth position holder in the 2018 Asian Games for measurable sports.

However, the Indian men's football team was cleared for travel despite not meeting the criteria after heavy lobbing from IOA secretary general Kalyan Chaubey, who is also AIFF president.

Dipa, though, thinks topping the trials should have been suffice for her