Chief Petty Officer Rakesh Kumar Patra (born 25 February 1992) is an Indian male artistic gymnast, representing his nation at international competitions. He competed at world championships, including the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.[2] He is supported by the GoSports Foundation through the Rahul Dravid mentorship programme. He is a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Navy.
| Rakesh Kumar Patra[1] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country represented |  India | ||||||||
| Born | 25 February 1992 | ||||||||
| Hometown | Puri, Odisha | ||||||||
| Height | 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) | ||||||||
| Discipline | Men's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||
| Level | Senior International Elite (India national team) | ||||||||
| Years on national team | 2010 | ||||||||
Medal record
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| Military career | |||||||||
| Allegiance | India | ||||||||
| Service |  Indian Navy | ||||||||
| Years of service | 2010–Present | ||||||||
| Rank |  Chief Petty Officer | ||||||||
Early life and background
editRakesh got into gymnastics in the year 2003 after being inspired by his uncle Suvendu Patra, a former international gymnast in 2001. Rakesh has been working in the Indian Navy since 2010. His parents are unwell and Rakesh also has a sister whom he takes care of.[3]
Career
editRanked 25th, he narrowly missed the Olympic qualification for Rio, 2016, as only the top 24 in the world qualify for the Olympics. Any country’s withdrawal would have given him an entry into the games, but that did not happen. At the Asian Championships, Patra qualified for the final in the Men’s Rings apparatus and finished eighth in the final. He strives for perfection and is adamant on winning a medal at Tokyo 2020. Recently, he spent 20 days on a high-performance stint in China and got the opportunity to work on his basics to improve at his sport. Rakesh looks up to five-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion, Kohei Uchimura for inspiration.[4]
Achievements
editReferences
edit- ^ "PATRA Rakesh". Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ "2013 World Gymnastics Championships athletes - Rakesh Patra". longinestiming.com. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ "PATRA Rakesh". fig-gymnastics.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games 2018: Indian gymnast Rakesh Patra makes it to final in rings apparatus event".
- ^ "2018 Commonwealth Games: Gymnast Rakesh Patra eyes medal for better life". 21 March 2018.
- ^ "PATRA Rakesh". fig-gymnastics.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018.