THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The brand new equipment at Jimmy George Indoor Stadium here were too new for the liking of most gymnasts participating in the 35th National Games. Some of the equipment were not offering adequate friction, according to participants. Some equipment differed in design from what they are used to in competitions and for practice, the contestants added.
When Dipa Karmakar performed a pike front salto on the beam, the landing was not as perfect as you would expect from the first Indian woman gymnast to win a medal in Commonwealth Games. Her coach Bisheshwar Nandi said that the tilt of the beam was different from what they usually practice on. They heaved a sigh of relief when they eventually learnt that she had qualified to the finals.
Not everyone could go home with a happy ending. Parul from Haryana sprained an ankle just as she was about to complete her floor exercise routine. Both her coach and doctor were sure that there was nothing wrong with the execution. They commented that her feet could have sunk in as the mat was not as firm as it should be.
The new mats will aid participants who have included big leaps and somersaults in their routine, as these offer perfect bounce, according to Yogeshwar Singh, another contestant from Haryana. However, it is the small graceful steps which suffer, he says.
Afraid that they would slip off the brand-new bars and rings, some resourceful contestants had an interesting home remedy at hand. They were seen applying honey over bars, to increase the friction.
The vault also took participants by surprise, as the design was different from what the gymnasts have usually seen. Accustomed to the smooth bend on the vault, they learnt that the vault here had a sharp rise.
Had the equipment arrived in time and the trial games scheduled for December happened, the issue could have been avoided. However, almost every contestant was very happy to be able to perform in a stadium with A-class facilities.
The Kerala team(s) were the happiest, as they look forward to practicing at the stadium once the Games is over. There is one medal hopeful for the fledgling gymnastics team of Kerala - Shinoj M. The former SSCB gymnast has qualified for the finals.
Some contestants complained that the warmup room, where the participants were supposed to practice in, did not have as many equipment for all participants to practice together.