After Olympic qualification, Dipa Karmakar to receive Rs 30 lakh funding under TOPS

New Delhi: Dipa Karmakar, who became India’s first woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics, will receive the sports ministry’s funding of up to Rs.30 lakh under the Target Olympic Scheme (TOPS), it was announced on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_2084131” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Dipa Karmakar. PTI[/caption] Dipa, who is an Asian bronze medallist, qualified in the artistic gymnastics event at Rio after collecting 52.698 points in the test event. The ministry of youth affairs and sports (Department of Sports) has formulated the TOP scheme for identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. “Congrats Dipa Karmakar. By virtue of Oly qualification joins TOPS that entitles her 4 additional assistance of 30 lacs 4 customised training,” the Sports Authority of India (SAI) wrote on Twitter.

Congrats Dipa Karmakar.By virtue of Oly qualification joins TOPS that entitles her 4 additional assistance of 30 lacs 4 customised training.

— DG, SAI (@DGSAI) April 18, 2016

Besides being the first Indian woman, Dipa will also be an Indian gymnast qualifying for the quadrennial extravaganza after 52 long years. The last time Indians participated in gymnastics at Olympics was way back in 1964, but during that time there was no qualification system in place. Six men competed at Tokyo 1964 in the artistic individual all-around category. Till date, 11 Indian men gymnasts have competed in the Olympics –two in 1952, three in 1956 and six in 1964. Dipa will also get a chance in the vault, the event in which she picked up two bronze medals in the 2015 Asian Championships and 2014 Commonwealth Games. She also had finished a creditable fifth in the World Championships.