Dipa Karmakar among 9 gymnasts in Asian Games squad

Olympian gymnast Dipa Karmakar booked her ticket for the Asian Games after emerging victorious in the selection trials held at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

After enduring a 22-month suspension due to doping, Dipa made a successful comeback to competitive gymnastics.

The ace gymnast scored 47.05 to claim the top spot in the all-around event, followed by Pranati Das and Pranati Nayak, who secured second and third spots with scores of 45.80 and 44.43, respectively.

After topping the trials on Day 1, Dipa posted a message on Twitter thanking his coach and expressing her emotions after the trials.

"It is extremely emotional to return to the place I consider my home. Grateful to my coach Nandi sir who helped me prepare for the trials," Dipa mentioned in her tweet.

In the men's Senior Individual category, Yogeshwar Singh from Haryana took first place with a score of 76.30, followed by Rakesh Patra from Odisha with a score of 76.20. Tapan Mohanty, also from Odisha, secured the third spot with a score of 74.60.

Dipa's selection in the Asiad squad is a significant achievement for her, considering her past success and the challenges she faced during her suspension. Her comeback will be eagerly anticipated by gymnastics enthusiasts as she aims to represent India at the Asian Games.

The event, organized by the Gymnastics Federation of India in association with the Sports & Youth Services Department, Odisha, saw the top gymnasts from the country vying to establish their place as part of the core group of the Indian Gymnastics team ahead of the Asian Games.

A total of five men and four women were selected in the Asian Games squad.

Men: Yogeshwar Singh, Rakesh Patra, Tapan Mohanty, Gaurav Kumar, Satyajit Mondal,

Reserves: Anas Ali Shaikh, Saif Tamboli

Women: Dipa Karmakar, Pranati Das, Pranati Nayak, Protistha Samanta;

Reserve: Bidisha Gayen