Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, the women’s hockey team and shooter Heena Sidhu toady checked into the Olympic Village ahead of the Rio Games beginning on August 5.
Checking into the Olympic Village, Dipa was gung-ho having secured her place into the Olympic Games in the same venue during the Test event for the Games.
“I have happy memories so I am looking forward to the Games,” she said, as she was accompanied by her coach Bisweswar Nandi.
“It was a long journey but I am hoping to adjust within a day or two and will get down to the gym and training,” said Dipa, “I have already found out where the gym is, the swimming pool and various other facilities, so we have begun to settle in.”
Dipa and Nandi met Indian contingent's head of mission Rakesh Gupta, who has been meeting all the athletes arriving into the Village.
“Abhinav Bindra, Heena Sidhu, boxer Shiva Thapa and Dipa have all checked in the past couple of days, as have the women’s hockey team. The men’s hockey team arrived a day earlier, so we are nearing our full strength. The teething problems in the Village have been sorted out and it is improving each day. We still have six days to go for the start, and the athletes are beginning to feel comfortable,” said Gupta.
Heena, one of India’s leading hopes in shooting, arrived from Germany. She was accompanied by Ronak Pandit, her husband and coach and a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
Gupta said, “Initially, we faced some problems in transport, particularly the drivers who have language issues, and they don’t know the routes very well. The biggest issue we are facing now is the language problem. There will soon be more volunteers who are all from schools and colleges. The holidays start from August 1, so we should soon be fine.”
Comments
SHARE