Not participating in World Championship will affect our Olympic preparation: Top gymnast

New Delhi, September 12

With uncertainty hovering over India’s participation in next month’s Artistic Gymnastic World Championship, top gymnast Rakesh Patra feels not taking part in the competition will affect the country’s preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.

Indian gymnasts were left in the lurch after reports emerged that the Sports Ministry refused to clear the team for the World Championship since the Gymnastic Federation of India (GFI) is de-recognised and stands suspended as per the national sports code.

The 48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will be held in Doha from October 25 to November 3.

Patra, who had finished fourth in the ring event at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Turkey in August, said if India can’t participate it will be a huge blow to their preparation for the Olympics.

“If we are not able to participate in the Doha World Championship we would never know where we stand in the global ranking chart. We need to test ourselves against the best to understand where we need to improve ahead of the Olympics,” Patra told PTI.

“Next year there is the qualifying event (World Championships in Stuttgart) for 2020 Tokyo Games and if this issue continues it will affect our chances. It will affect India’s reputation in the global stage,” he added.

Besides Patra, other members of the gymnastic team include Aruna Budda Reddy, who won a bronze medal in 2018 World Cup Gymnastics in women’s vault event in Melbourne, Ashish Kumar, who won two medals in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games and a bronze at Incheon Asian Games, and West Bengal’s Pranati Nayak.

Coach Bishweshwar Nandi, who is currently training a fit-again Dipa Karmakar in Agartala, said he is taking the wait-and-watch policy.

“We will be travelling to New Delhi by September 22. We are waiting for a decision. It is a very important event ahead of Olympics. Let’s see what the Sports Ministry decides. I have faith in the system so hopefully everything will fall into place,” Nandi said.

September 25 is the cut-off date for sending entries ‘by names’ to the organiser and Patra is hopeful that the federation will find a way to send them to the event. Else, he will have to bear the cost. — PTI