Dipa Karmakar doesn’t want Sachin Tendulkar’s BMW gift, says it’s difficult to maintain

Dipa Karmakar became an overnight sensation owing to her effort at the Rio Games. (Source: File)

A couple of months ago, Sachin Tendulkar gifted Dipa Karmakar a BMW each. However, it’s a luxury the gymnast can’t afford. Dipa has refused to accept the gift, saying it will be tough for her to maintain the high-end car in Agartala, instead requesting that cash prize equivalent to the car’s cost be given to her.

Hyderabad District Badminton Association chief Chamundeswarinath had gifted Dipa and the two medal winners — PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik — a car each. Tendulkar had presented the keys of the car to them at a felicitation function. “You need to be luckly to be gifted a car by Sachin sir. But I respectfully __have to return the gift,” she said.

Dipa, who is yet to receive the car, said roads in Agartala are too narrow for a BMW and also the city does not __have a single BMW showroom or service centre. “The biggest question for me is what happens if the car breaks down and there is an emergency. There is nowhere to go because there are no BMW showrooms or service centres in Agartala and Guwahati, which is 500km from here. Also, you have to maintain these cars well but there is nowhere in Agartala that I will be able to do that,” Dipa said.

Dipa became an overnight sensation owing to her effort at the Rio Games. She scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the Olympics and then produced a memorable performance at the big event in Rio finishing 4th in the vault event.

She received a hero’s welcome upon returning. Tendulkar, who was the Goodwill Ambassador of the Indian team at Rio Olympics, handed over the keys of the vehicles to them at a function held at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad on August 28.

Dipa’s father Dulal said a technician would have to fly from Kolkata in case of any mechanical difficulty. “We have to bear the entire cost in that case,” he told PTI. “We want to return the BMW car.”

Instead, Dipa said she would request Tendulkar to provide the amount equivalent to the value of the car. “It will be great if they can do that. Then I can buy a car which can be driven easily here. I can use the spare money for my training,” Dipa said.

She later tweeted ‘thanking’ Tendulkar for ‘agreeing to give funds for it’. However, Chamundeswarinath said he will have a word with the gymnast on the difficulties she is facing in handling the vehicle.

“We will discuss with her. Whatever Dipa is comfortable with, we will look into it; if not BMW car,” he said. “The idea of gifting cars to the sportspersons was to encourage them to do better.”