Nickname
Guddu (dohagym.com, 08 Jan 2010)
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Humanities - Women's College, Agartala: India
Spoken languages
Bengali, English, Hindi
Coach
Bishweshwar Nandi [personal], IND
Sporting relatives
Her father Dulal Karmakar has coached weightlifters for the Sports Authority of India [SAI]. (sportscelebfamily.com, 26 Mar 2017)
Injuries
A knee injury prevented her from competing at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. She spent time recovering from the problem during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and returned to training in August 2020. (olympics.com, 23 Feb 2021)
She suffered a minor thigh injury in September 2018. (thegymter.net, 01 Oct 2018)
She sustained a right knee injury during training at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. The injury prevented her from competing in the team all-around final at the Games. She later competed in the balance beam final, although she was still troubled by the injury. (firstpost.com, 24 Aug 2018, 22 Aug 2018; india.com, 24 Aug 2018)
She suffered a knee injury at the Indian selection trials for the 2017 Asian Championships. She subsequently required surgery on her anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in April 2017. (outlookindia.com, 14 Feb 2018; timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 22 Jun 2017)
She suffered a hairline fracture of her ankle following the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Later in the year she was able to compete at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Republic of Korea, with the aid of painkillers and a bandaged ankle. (newindianexpress.com, 25 Sep 2014)
Start sporting career
She took up gymnastics at age six at the Netaji Subhas Regional Centre of the Sports Authority of India [SAI].
Reason for taking up the sport
Her father worked as a coach at the Sports Authority of India [SAI] and encouraged her to try gymnastics. "Having watched gymnastics from up close, he knew more than anyone else that it wasn't just about dainty movements and pretty costumes. It needed strength and guts."
Milestones
She became the first female gymnast representing India to compete at the Olympic Games when she participated at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She was also the first female Indian gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, claiming bronze on vault at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (SportsDeskOnline, 22 Jul 2018; news18.com, 25 Jan 2017; sportskeeda.com, 22 Feb 2016)
Ambitions
To win gold at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (sputnikglobe.com, 08 Jun 2021)
Hero / Idol
US artistic gymnast Simone Biles. (parentcircle.com, 01 Jan 2019)
Philosophy / Motto
"We all should take Oksana [Chusovitina] as an example; if she can still do so well at the age of 45, then why shall I consider the age factor now [speaking in 2021]. It's all about how fit you are mentally as well as physically and if you have willpower to give it a shot, you can definitely do it." (olympics.com, 23 Feb 2021)
Awards
In April 2017 she featured in Forbes Magazine's '30 Under 30' Asia list, which celebrates the accomplishments of achievers who are under the age of 30. (hindustantimes.com, 17 Apr 2017)
In 2017 she received the Padma Shri Award in India. (Facebook page, 08 Mar 2018; business-standard.com, 13 Apr 2017)
In January 2017 she became only the second Indian athlete to feature on a postage stamp issued by the Department of Post in India. She received the honour after becoming the first female gymnast from India to compete at the Olympic Games at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (hindustantimes.com, 21 Jan 2017)
In 2016 she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in India. (Facebook page, 08 Mar 2018; firstpost.com, 29 Aug 2016)
She was presented with India's Arjuna Award in August 2015. (nelive.in, 30 Aug 2015)
She was named the 2010 Gymnast of the Year by the Gymnastics Federation of India [GFI]. (gfi-gymnastics.in, 10 Apr 2010)
Additional information
SANCTION
She received a 21-month suspension from the International Testing Agency [ITA] after returning a positive result for the prohibited substance higenamine at an out of competition test in October 2021. Her period of ineligibility was in effect until 10 July 2023. (ita.sport, 03 Feb 2023)
PRODUNOVA
On her way to winning bronze on vault at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, she became only the fifth female athlete to have landed the 'Produnova'. The move, which is nicknamed the 'Vault of Death', involves completing two somersaults before landing on the feet safely. "There can be death if you land on the neck, there's death if you go down headlong. It is risky, I know. But to win something, I always knew I had to take a risk. I'd seen boys do it, so why not? It's tough because when you land after two aerial somersaults, the weight that comes on the leg is double - if I'm 45kg, the legs have to take 80-90kg." (thequint.com, 13 Aug 2016; indianexpress.com, 18 Apr 2016)
AUTHOR
In November 2018 she released a book called 'The Small Wonder' that documents her career. (thegymter.net, 05 Nov 2018; Twitter profile, 03 Nov 2018)
Last update : 2024-07-22
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