Gymnast Dipa Karmakar Appears For MA Exam A Day After Returning From Rio

Dipa Karmakar, India's star gymnast and fourth-place finisher at Rio Olympics, is not only aspiring to be a gold medallist at 2020 Tokyo Games but also hopes to hold a Master of Arts degree soon.

Dipa appeared for her second semester MA exams on Tuesday, at the Distance Learning Centre of Tripura University, just a day after she arrived in Agartala from Rio. She says she is confident of a Masters Degree in Political Science soon.

Officials at the Tripura University are amazed at Dipa's dedication towards academics in spite of her sporting commitments. They say it's a message to all students who are thinking of making excuses to avoid sitting for exams.

Director of Distance Education at Tripura University, Dr KB Jamatia told NDTV, "It's a striking example to other students also. One who plays at the Olympic level can also study side by side to acquire higher education, along with her achievements in sports."

Dipa's family says inspite of gymnastics taking most of her time, Dipa has never neglected her education. She even took her books to Rio so that she could be prepared for this exam during the long break in between her event. Her mother Gouri said: "My daughter always says sports is in its place and education is in its place. She says she has to get a degree."

From fellow examinees there was admiration for her dedication to sports and academics. A young man who also appeared for the exam with Dipa, told NDTV, "In our country people are usually given a choice between sports and academics. Dipa Karmakar has proved you can do both. The students of Tripura are extremely proud of her."