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SPORTS COLUMN

The Olympic Moment

When Dipa Karmakar and Bishweshwar Nandi stunned the World.
Vishesh Kashyap, 1st Year, ME; Zara Khan, 1st Year, PCT

The Death Vault. Funny name, Dipa wondered, for it was a vault she had practised over a thousand times in the last three months
alone, with decent precision. But, of course, this time, it was way too different.

Numerous times in the past, she had stood at the same spot in arenas around the globe and yet, never had she experienced such
an implosion of emotion. For a sport she loved, that was particularly unnerving. From one corner of her eye, she saw Nandi sir
still as a statue, perhaps praying for one final time here at Rio.

Even as she walked toward the vault board for the leap of her life, she recalled the first memory of Nandi sir. “Flat feet shall not
be an excuse in your path. Not on my watch. Run, jump, vault, land - that is all that matters!”, he would say.

Born lucky, wasn’t she? Her father, a Weight- lifting Coach, had got her admitted to a Gymna-
sium, where she had found her Gurus - Bishweshwar Sir and Soma Ma’am. She remem-
bered her first vault, at all of six years of age. Home town Agartala never had that kind
of infrastructure a career in Gymnastics would have mandated. Added to this was the
flat shape of her foot soles, which ruled her out altogether.

But Nandi Sir dreamt big for her. Himself being a Five-Time National Cham-
pion, she was the best bet for him to bag the International laurels he could never
achieve. From working on developing an arch in her feet, to making her persevere to
achieve the best, he is the reason for her being able to steer effortlessly through all the
hurdles that have come by her way. He made her what she is today.

The first step in the journey that led her here were the Juniors in 2008. She won the Gold Medal,
and since then there has been no stopping for her. Still, it was the first time she had landed a successful
Produnova that she considers the turning point of her life, for the so-considered Death Vault had served her well, right from
the Nationals to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

And yet, the five Nationals in five years, even the bronze at the Glasgow Commonwealth, all seem bleak when compared with the
enormity of the moment she was living in.

She glanced at the Vault Board and repeated to herself the only Mantra she knew - Run, Jump, Vault, Land. Run, Jump, Vault, Land.
Her devoted practice of fifteen years was about to culminate at this very moment. He never expressed it, but she knew Nandi sir
was proud of her. And soon, the whole Nation was to be, for it was time to scale newer heights. For that was her day in the sun.

protection, relying only on reflexes
It’s Luge! for steering.

Vishesh Kashyap, 1st Year, ME Lugers often reach speeds of around
150 kmph, which warrants high ac-
curacy in timing, giving luge a place
Does the thought of hurtling down among the most precisely-timed
snowy slopes at high speeds thrill sports in the world.
you? Well, meet Luge!
Luge is a popular Winter Sport in
Luge is an Olympic sport that traces Europe, and is played on both Nat-
it’s origins to 15th century Norway. ural and Artificial tracks. India is rep-
It involves riders bolting down Ice resented in luge by Shiva Keshavan.
Alleys on a Sled, with practically no

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