Gymnastics | Tussle between GFI and SAI not helping anyone, reveal Dipa Karmakar

Gymnastics | Tussle between GFI and SAI not helping anyone, reveal Dipa Karmakar

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Dipa Karmakar and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi have stated that it is not easy to be totally ignorant of the tussle between Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) and Sports Authority of India and it takes a toll on their preparations. GFI has been disqualified by SAI due to "internal quarrels".

Ever since the Gymnastics Federation of India(GFI) was disqualified by the Government in the year 2012, India is yet to have a permanent Government approved Gymnastics body. The Federation was disbanded by the government due to the internal quarrel and factionalism within the body and India’s top gymnast Dipa Karmakar and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi have said that the ongoing tension between GFI and SAI creating unnecessary pressure on the athletes.

“There’s no doubt that we are getting hemmed in because there are two federations of gymnastics in India. One which has Sudhakar Shetty as its president, is affiliated to the international body – the FIG – but the ministry doesn’t recognize it. I believe the two bodies should call off their differences and work for the betterment of gymnastics. The infighting is affecting the gymnasts,” Bishweshwar Nandi told TOI.

Dipa Karmakar is the only Indian and the fifth in the World to successfully complete a Produnova vault at the 2016 Olympics. She too iterated that regardless of the guidance by her coach it is not easy to ignore the issues plaguing the Gymnastics body.

“Nandi Sir tells us to focus on our training and that’s what we do. But these outside issues do affect me. It’s not good for the sport,” the Gymnast added.

As the World Cup will be here soon the preparations for the multinational event too seem to have been affected by the problem. While Dipa, Aruna Budda Reddy, Rakesh Patra, and Ashish Kumar have been confirmed for the Individual Apparatus World Cup, the participation of Pranati Nayak and Yogeshwar Singh has not been cleared by SAI.

“The general practice is that SAI first gives the financial clearance to the trip and then does the flight bookings and arrangement for stay. SAI gives us the receipts of booking done and we inform the FIG and organisers about it. However, this time a mail from the SAI states that the GFI should proceed ahead with the payments. The GFI can’t do that since we are de-recognised,” an unnamed official said. 

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