Ashok Mishra of Odisha is one of the top gymnastics coaches in Indian. Currently, working as the head coach at SAI, Kolkata, he has produced top class gymnasts like Rakesh Patra and Ashis Kumar. He has been the chief coach of the Indian team in many major tournaments including World Championships. In a free-wheeling chat with Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra the coach talks about what ails the sport and its future in India. Excerpts.
Dipa Karmakar’s coach Dronacharya awardee Bisweswar Nandi speaks very highly of you. He said you should come back to Odisha if the state gymnasts want to shine.
Oh, Mr Nandi is my senior, but we are very good friends. We have worked together for many years and share a very good rapport. We both were chief coaches of the Indian senior team. Nandi is very lucky that he got a student like Dipa (Karmakar). Her success got him the recognition, he so richly deserves.
How did you turn to coaching?
I was a gymnast myself and won several state-level competitions in Odisha and also participated in a number of national championships in the period 1976-1985. After I retired, I cleared the coaches’ course in NIS, Kolkata in 1987 and joined Cuttack SAI Hostel immediately. Since then I have been a coach.
Do you have any plans to return to Odisha?
No. Currently I am working as the head coach in SAI, Kolkata. I was working at SAI Cuttack from 1987-1999. However, the gymnastics centre there was hit by a cyclone and was badly affected. Since there was no effort to revive it, I was transferred to the Puri Sports Hostel the same year. I worked there for many years and produced top gymnasts like Rakesh.
In 2015 I was transferred to SAI, Kolkata and since then have been there. Since SAI doesn’t have any plans for the sport in Odisha, my chances of returning to the state are remote indeed.
Has there been any effort by the Odisha government to bring you back?
No, they haven’t. But then they don’t have any plans for the development of gymnastics in Orissa.
The performances of the Indian gymnasts were below par in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games? Why?
Rakesh was the only medal prospect in gymnastics and also entered the finals. However, he missed out on a medal because of an imperfect landing. However, if you really assess, the standard of Indian gymnasts in comparison to the world is very poor indeed.
What are India’s chances of a medal in the upcoming Asian Games?
There will be world powerhouses like Japan, China and Korea. So even if one Indian gymnast makes it to the final, it will be a great achievement. Rakesh has the potential to reach the final, but frankly speaking there is no medal hope.
What are the main reasons for the deterioration standards of gymnastics?
There are two parallel associations running the sport and players are suffering because of their feud. Ignorant people at the helm of the affairs are damaging the sport. Lack of competitive events is also a huge detriment to the development of the sport.
Why is your main protege, Rakesh failing to bag medals in big tournaments?
I think Rakesh has been a bit unlucky. He has missed medals by a whisker in many competitions. He has to adjust a bit in his final landing. Rakesh is away from me since 2015 and it may be a psychological factor affecting his performance as well.
Ashis is another top gymnast of India. But of late his performance has waned.
It may be due to the age factor. His dedication and sincerity for the sport has also decreased.
Do we have any other prospects like Dipa in India now?
No we don’t have anyone like Dipa now. We have to identify talents from a very tender age and groom them with utmost sincerity over a long period of time to create another Dipa.
If you get a proposal to work in Odisha, will you accept it?
Yes definitely. But the Odisha government has to ensure that they provide top class facilities in gymnastics like athletics and hockey. There are facilities in Puri but they are not world standard. We need good infrastructure and modern apparatus.
Are there enough talents to groom in Odisha?
Yes, there are quite a few young talented gymnasts in Odisha. Especially in Puri there is a culture to promote the sport. Children there follow some basic exercise routines and they are very flexible and suitable for the sport. However, they have to be groomed from a tender age then only will they develop as the top class gymnasts.
What is your main goal?
I want my wards to win medals in international tournaments. I have talented wards like Rakesh and Papiya Das, who have done very well at the national level. I will be very happy if they do an encore in international competitions as well.