Dipa Karmakar, who will become the first Indian woman to compete in an Olympic gymnastics competition, got a shout-out from Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.


"Just yesterday, a daughter of India brought fame to the country at the Rio Olympics," the PM said in a speech to students at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Jammu, referring to the qualifying event held this weekend that allows Karmakar to claim her place at the Olympics. "These incidents set examples, give us strength," the PM said.


After becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, Dipa Karmakar has set her eyes on a podium finish at the Rio Games scheduled to be held in August. The 22-year-old garnered a total score of 52.698 points in the Olympics qualifying event on Sunday to book a berth for artistic gymnastics in Rio Games.


It is a good feeling to win a gold medal, Dipa was quoted as saying at the official Facebook page of the International Federation of Gymnastics. My next objective is an Olympic medal podium, she said after clinching the gold in vaults finals at the test event of the Rio Games. The Tripura girl scored 14.833 as her best effort to finish first in the womens vaults finals at the Rio Olympic Arena.