Dipa Karmakar looking to give her absolute best in Asian Games

PTI

New Delhi: Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who has recovered well following a knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games, on Thursday said that she is looking forward to giving her absolute best and stand on people`s expectation in the upcoming Asian Games.

Karmakar suffered a knee injury while practicing for the trails of Asian Championships 2017.

She immediately underwent an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery in April last year and has been out of action since then.

She also opted to skip 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games, where she bagged a bronze medal in 2014. Talking to ANI regarding the same, the 24-year-old said that she is absolutely fit now and that she and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi are looking for a good show in the upcoming events.

"I am absolutely fit. I will try my best to give good performance. I and coach are working hard for the same. We are practicing vault.

We are hopeful to perform well and do something good at the Asian Games. Injury is a part and parcel of the sport, especially in Gymnastic. I have recovered well following an injury and now I am concentrating entirely on my practice," Karmakar said.

When asked why she opted to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, Karmakar reiterated that she didn`t want to risk her injury knowing that there are many other crucial events coming in.

"I did not play in Commonwealth Games because I did not want to risk my injury. I might have bagged the medal, had I participated in the event. However, it was important to recover from my injury first.

I did not want to spoil upcoming important events like 2020 Olympic qualification and Asian Games as well as World Championship in 2019 because of one tournament.

That is why I withdrew from Commonwealth Games," she said. Karmakar, who also won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Championships, missed the bronze medal at last year`s Rio Olympics by 0.150 points as American gymnast Simone Biles won her third gold medal.

She, however,had created history when she became the first Indian gymnast to enter the final on her debut at the quadrennial multi-discipline games after finishing eighth in the qualifying round.

And Karamakar admitted that people have had high hopes from her since making a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics.

"After making a fourth-place finish at the Olympics, many people have high hopes that I would perform well wherever I go. Now, it is also my responsibility to stand on people`s expectation.

I am getting good support. So, I and coach are hoping to give our best," she said. Karmakar, however, insisted that she couldn`t assure anyone of winning a medal in the upcoming Asian Games.

"I can`t assure of clinching a medal. Anything can happen in sports. If I get injured just two minutes prior to the event, then my performance can get affected.

But I will try my level best to put a good show," she said. Karmakar is one of the only five women who have successfully landed the `Produnova`, which is regarded as the most difficult vault currently performed in women`s gymnastics.

On a related note, the Asian Games is slated to be held from August 18 and will run till September 2 in Indonesia.