No sponsors on board: Cash-strapped Gymnastics Federation of India ask players to pay to compete

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Nearly eight years after Tripura's Rio Olympian and Asian Games medalist, Dipa Karmakar, enhanced the profile of Indian gymnastics by finishing fourth in the women's vaulting event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, sponsors are reluctant to support 2024 edition of the national gymnastics competition scheduled to be held in December in Gujarat.

Cash-strapped Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) has asked the competitors to pay for meals and accommodation during the December 25 to January 4 national competition to be held in all age groups at Surat's Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium.

Kaushik Bidiwala, secretary of Gujarat Gymnastics Association and treasurer of the national body was candid in saying it is a challenging task to conduct the national competition in all age groups due to lack of sponsors.

"Till November 15 no sponsor has come on board. We have approached the Gujarat state government, but yet to get any response," Bidiwala told Mykhel over the phone on Friday.

Bidiwala also clarified that the GFI circular issued last month (October 23) was sent to affiliated state units and the federation did not approach the players to pay for their meals and accommodation during national meet.

"We don't ask players to pay the amount. TheGFI wrote to respective state units to pay for accommodation and food during the national meet," Bidiwala added.

"It is up to the state unit to pay or ask players to pay. Majority of the state units ask the players to pay to compete in the national competition. The players have to generally pay tocompete at the national level. But sometimes local organisers make some arrangements for accommodation," one of the senior gymnastics coaches of Punjab state said.

"But this time GFI is asking for more money for accommodation and meals." The GFI circular dated October 23 stated all the coaches/managers/gymnast are required to pay the registration fee of Rs 4500 to Gujarat State Gymnastics Association account. "The organisers will provide meals and accommodation," the circular stated.

The competitors will also have to pay an additional entry fee of Rs 1,000 to GFI. The GFI license fee is Rs 1000 per competitor and should be paid during the national meet. For the first time ---- artistic. rhythmic and trampoline disciplines in all age groups will be conducted at one venue. "We are expecting more than 1600 competitors. The competition will be held in phases," Bidiwala explained.

"We will start with the women's group and then men's. November 10 was the deadline for state units to furnishteam details but it has been extended to the last week of November. During the national competition the federation will also shortlist competitors for the National Games scheduled to be held in Uttarakhand. Wrangling between officials of the GFI failed to build up on Dipa Karmakar's achievement post Rio Olympic Games. The 31-year-old recently announced her retirement. While West Bengal's gymnast Pranati Nayak competed in an invaulting event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021 in Japan, no Indian gymnasts could get continental quota to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games held between July 26 to August 11 in France.