Dussehra gift for gymnasts: A face-to-face with CWG hero

thus adding a new chapter in the Indian gymnastics history.

Interacting with the students,Akash shared how people,who had earlier predicted no medals from the gymnasts,had to eat their words. “Nobody expected us to win medals. Even Suresh Kalmadi had said we were the least medal hopes; but now,look how he is coming forward and congratulating us on our achievements. So,it is a good feeling when aspiring gymnasts come and say they want to be like me,” shared the 19-year-old.

Terming his medals in the Commonwealth Games as a “new beginning for Indian gymnastics”,Ashish said he would like to take Indian gymnastics to the Olympic level,but it won’t be possible without proper apparatus and facilities. “Training alone is not sufficient for a gymnast to make a mark at the highest level; we need good apparatus and facilities,too. If we had got proper facilities before the Games,we could have fared much better because the same apparatus that we got just six months before the CWG will be used for the London Olympics and it would have done wonders for us,” said the BA-II student of Kanpur University.

From being the first Indian to have won a medal at the Asia level to the new-found glory in the just concluded Commonwealth Games,Ashish wants to add another feather to his cap by winning a medal in the upcoming Asian Games. “I learnt a lot after the mistake I committed in the Games. I could have won but a small mistake cost me the gold and I will make sure I don’t repeat it in the Asian Games. My best bets are on two events: floor exercise and vault where I won medals in Commonwealth Games. We have been practising hard in Pune for the last one year,and hopefully,we will win some medals in the Asian Games too,” said a confident Ashish.

Coach Shashi,meanwhile,said Chandigarh gymnasts were very excited to meet their hero in person. “The attitude of the people towards gymnastics has changed: they are serious about the sport now. Hopefully,his (Ashish’s) achievements will inspire other gymnasts to shine on the world stage,” Shashi said.