Agartala Prepares For Dipa Karmakar's Big Moment at Rio

Agartala, Tripura's capital is buzzing on Sunday with television crews descending on the city. The reason is the 'golden girl of Tripura' Dipa Karmakar - who is participating in the gymnastics finals this evening at the Rio Olympic Games.

Thousands of kilometres away in her hometown, people have already made plans for the evening. Everyone is going to be glued to their TV sets hoping that the local girl will end the drought as far as medals for the Indian contingent are concerned. Dipa has already become something like a national hero after completing the 'Produnova Vault' successfully.

The hot afternoon is also being put to good use. At the Lalbahadur Gymnasium, a little distance away from the Karmakar home, a priest has been called in to perform a special puja. The almighty has been invoked to ensure nothing goes wrong for Dipa Karmakar as she takes stage in just a few hours from now.

Uttam Chakraborty, the vice-president of the Lal Bahadur Gymnasium says, "Like the entire country, we are hoping she will make us proud today. This is a small prayer to ensure that she has the best possible time as she participates in the greatest competition of her career so far. We are invoking the gods to bless her and like a billion Indians, we are praying she wins."

Soma Nandy, Dipa's first coach, is spending a quiet afternoon at her home but once in a while the doorbell rings. It's the television crews coming in to do interviews.

The questions are along the same lines. 'Tell us about the initial days as a gymnast' or 'did you realise then that she is going to make it to the Olympics.' She obliges everyone.

Soma told NDTV she still remembers Dipa as a five-year-old kid at her gymnasium. "She came in like any other child but we realised she had a talent when she won a god medal at a Northeast states athletic meet in which people older than her participated."

"She just wouldn't give up when she did not get things right. The other kids would say we'll practice tomorrow but Dipa would say why can't I perfect it today?" Soma added.

Soma has more than one reason to be happy if Dipa wins a medal. Not only did she coach Dipa as a young gymnast but her husband is also Dipa's current coach and in Rio with her.

She quips, "My husband spoke to me this morning and said her preparations are fine and she is not under any pressure."

Dipa is also off rice and sweets, her favourite, and on a strict diet during the time of competition.

At 2300 hours tonight, entire Tripura will join the rest of the country in rooting for the 23-year-old Dipa Karmakar. Tripura hopes Dipa will live to their chief minister's message to her: "She makes small and tiny Tripura look beautiful."