AGARTALA: It will be a sweet and special 23rd birthday for Dipa Karmakar on Tuesday even though she’ll be far away from home. The Tripura gymnast, who on Sunday created history by becoming the first Indian to reach the finals of the individual vaults at the Rio Olympics and shot to instant fame, will receive wishes like never before.
Father Dulal Karmakar says, “We will badly miss her. During her absence, we do not want to celebrate her birthday. We will pray for her success in the temples tomorrow. That will be the birthday gift from our side. “I spent a sleepless night. But I was relieved once I heard my Dipa qualified for the vault finals,” added Karmakar senior, who is a weightlifter. The mood is buoyant at the government-run Tripura Sports School, where Dipa had practiced ahead of the Olympics. “Dipa di is like our mentor. We wish to become like her,” said Ankita Pal, student of class X and junior gymnast of the school.