Gymnasts make history at Doha

PUNE: For the first time in Indian history, four gymnasts of the national team made it to the last eight in different categories in the World Cup gymnastics meet at Doha, Qatar, held from March 22 to 25.
An overjoyed Indian coach Vladimir Chertkov told TOI, "This is a significant achievement. Had we practiced with new apparatus, the results could have been even better."
At the Doha meet, Ashish Kumar (Railways) was placed seventh overall in the floor exercise while Rakesh Patra (Punjab) and Partha Mondal (Railways) took seventh and eighth positions respectively in roman rings.Mondal again stood seventh overall in the parallel bar and Deepa Karmakar of Tripura finished sixth in vaulting horse.
The gymnastics team is presently practising at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, for the Commonwealth Games.
Of the eight World Cups to be held this year, the Indian team is participating in five. While the Doha round is over, the team will take part in the World Cup meets to be held in Paris (April 10), Moscow (May 15), Belgium (September 11) and Slovakia (September end).
Chertkov has time and again pointed out to the authorities that the team has been training with outdated apparatus, which had been purchased by the Maharashtra government during the third National Games held in the city in 1994.
"This apparatus will not give flexibility to the gymnasts. Other countries replace most of their gymnastic apparatus after four years as the specifications change with use," he said.