Puri servitor’s son who chose gymnastics over wrestling seeks international glory

Promising national-level gymnast Tapan Mohanty from Puri wanted to be a state-level wrestler in his childhood. He was the son of Puri Jagannath temple servitor Loknath Mohanty. Like many other children in Puri, he wanted to follow the footsteps of his father. He started practicing wrestling at the traditional ‘Akhada’ in Puri just at the age of seven much to the amusement of his father.

However, Tapan’s predilection changed when he was taken by his father to a wrestling selection trial at the Indoor Stadium in Puri. He saw many people practicing gymnastics there which caught his attention.

Subsequently, he told his father to be a gymnast and not a wrestler. Then his beautiful journey with gymnastics started. Under the tutelage of eminent coaches like Ashok Mishra and Pradeep Sahoo, he flourished to be a talented gymnast.

While Mishra and Sahoo are always there to guide him, Tapan too takes a lot of inspiration from Rakesh Patra, a seasoned international-level gymnast from Odisha.

“Rakesh Bhai is like an elder brother to me. He always motivates me to perform better. He always rectifies my mistakes. I have learnt many subtle nuances of the sport from him,” said Tapan.

After performing well in many national-level tournaments and trials, Tapan has now set his eyes to perform well in various international-level tournaments.

“The competition level is pretty tough at international level. However, with the kind of training and exposure I have got, I am sure to give my best and perform well in those mega competitions. My aim is now to bring laurels for my state and country by winning medals in international level tournaments,” the promising gymnast added.