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We are flooded with admission requests, says Bishweshwar Nandi
Bishweshwar Nandi talks about how more and more parents are queuing up at his sports academy to train their children hoping they would become the next Dipa Karmakar.
What Nadia Comaneci’s did for Romania, Dipa Karmakar may have done for India. Thanks to her performance at the Rio Olympics, gymnastics has become the go to sports for many. In her home town Agartala, parents are queuing up at the sports academy of Soma and Bishweshwar Nandi to admit their children with the dream of making them the next Dipa.
Read: Bouyed by Rio success, Dipa Karmakar’s coach aims to form Indian gymnastics team
“We are getting too many admission requests every day. The other day my wife was telling me that she is not being able to handle so many applications. Everyone has this notion that they will train for a few days under my wife and then will be shifted under my tutelage,” says Bishweshwar, adding that it’s not easy to train so many at the same time without compromising on the quality. “We can’t compromise on the quality. Also, training children the basic is very difficult and takes time,” says Nandi. He shares good news that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has given clearance for an all equipped gymnastic academy at the IGT stadium in Delhi.
Those who remember the 1976 Montreal Olympics where Nadia Comaneci scored that perfect 10 may also recollect how her achievement inspired an entire generation of gymnasts in Romania to take up the sport. According to a Reuters report dated July 2008, many parents encouraged their daughters to pursue gymnastics so as to win a ticket to move out of Romania that was then under an oppressive communist rule.
Proud of Dipa’s performance at Rio, the Dronacharya awardee says, “She practices really hard and listens to everything I tell her to do. Dipa is a dedicated student. It was always there in her to excel.”
Read: Coaches not spared as sports body reviews India’s ‘lacklustre’ Rio performance
Ask him about his concerns for Produnova losing points and plans of coming up with a Dipa vault and Nandi is quick to add, “Not just Produnova, other vaults have also lost points. Among them, Produnova has still got the highest points. About the Dipa vault, you know it takes 2 to 2 and half years to prepare and own a vault. I will try doing that later. At the moment, I want to concentrate and better what Dipa already does best.”
Talking about Dipa’s training sessions, Nandi says that her fitness regime has already started but full-fledged training will commence after Durga Puja. At the mention of Bengali’s most popular festival, Nandi adds, “I’m hoping that this year I will be able to enjoy Durga Puja with my children in Agartala. For the last five years I haven’t been around during the festival. But then the Prime Minister is planning a meeting session with athletes and their coaches, in case it falls during Puja then I will have to go.”
On being one of the best gymnast coaches
I don’t think I am one of the best and I have my reasons to say so. A good coach is someone who not just trains his athletes but also makes sure that they win medals. At Rio, Dipa didn’t win a medal. So, I still have a lot more to do.
Offers on writing Dipa’s biography
We have been approached by two people for her biography. But we are yet to make a decision. We will have to discuss things with them before taking a call. Since they will be writing about her life and sport, no wrong information should go in the book.
Read: All-round excellence built through science is missing in Indian sport
On promoting upcoming athletes
As a coach and trainer, I feel if upcoming athletes are written about, they will feel motivated. Why wait for someone to bring laurels and then write about him or her? Why not go and watch upcoming athletes play and speak to the coach about who has it in him or her to do well and promote them? This, I feel will boost every sport.
