AGENCIES
NEW DELHI
India's Rio-bound gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been named a 'World Class Gymnast' by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). She is the first Indian gymnast to receive the award.
The honour has been bestowed on her by virtue of her fifth-place finish at the World Artistic Championships held from October 24-November 1 in Glasgow last year. According to FIG rules, the award is given to participants in the all-round competitions or individual apparatus finals and medallists of the team final at the World Championships, Olympics Games or World Games.
In a letter to the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) dated June 8, 2016, FIG secretary general Andre Gueisbuhler requested the Indian body to present Dipa with the 'World Class Gymnast' pin at a special occasion.
The GFI has been caught in factional infighting for the last four years which has resulted in competitions, funding and camps for gymnasts taking a major hit. Dipa, who won a bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympics.
