Dipa Karmakar congratulates Paralympic medalists Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati

Agartala: Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who missed out on an Olympic medal by a whisker in Rio de Janeiro recently, on Sunday showered praise on Thangavelu Mariyappan and Varun Singh Bhati for winning gold and bronze in the Paralympics. [caption id=“attachment_2743634” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Dipa Karmakar. PTI[/caption] “You have achieved something what I could not. I would have loved to meet both of you in person,” Dipa said in her congratulatory message. Dipa’s coach Bishweshwar Nandi said: “Proud to be an Indian. You (Mariyappan and Bhati) have made us proud.” India’s national anthem was finally played at the medal ceremony in Rio after 21-year-old Mariyappan of Tamil Nadu won the gold in men’s high jump T-42 event at the Paralympics by jumping a personal best of 1.89 metres. Noida lad Bhati also secured a personal best of 1.86m in the same event to win a bronze as India for the first time had two members on the podium.