Dipa Karmakar claimed fourth place in Gymnastics at the Rio Olympics in August 2016 to become a household name in India. Before the 23-year-old represented India in Gymnastics at the Olympics, there had never been another woman who had done so, making her mere presence at the event an incredible achievement.
The fact that she very nearly claimed a bronze medal, falling agonisingly short on the eve of India’s Independence Day, endeared her to the masses and she became an instant hit overnight.
India entered the Olympics with hopes of registering her highest ever medal tally, going one step further than the six medals earned in London four years ago, but ended up, rather disappointingly, with only two medals. Both the medals were secured by Indian women, PV Sindhu won the Silver in Badminton Singles, while Sakshi Malik won bronze for her effort in Wrestling.
Even though Dipa Karmakar did not win a medal, her effort was widely recognised and she was aptly awarded for her performances.
Perhaps the most fitting gesture was when Indian Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar presented the three women with a BMW car for their performance in Rio.
However, according to sources close to OneIndia.com, Dipa Karmakar has returned the car as she will not be able to maintain it.
It was reported that the maintenance costs for such a luxury vehicle are very high and it is believed that Dipa does not want to bear the cost of it. Further, as she hails from Agartala, she believes that it is not a car that can be used by her or her family members as it would prove to be a nuisance on the rather small roads.
Dipa or any of her representatives are yet to confirm the story but it is one to watch out for.
The 23-year-old is not resting on her laurels and wants to go further and earn more accolades. Next on the radar for her is an exposure tour to Germany and participation in the Challengers’ Cup.
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