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Gymnast Pranati Nayak reveals how her silver medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup on her return from injuries keeps her hope alive.
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak (Instagram)
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak clinched a silver medal in the women’s vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 in Tashkent last week.
On Friday, the 31-year-old revealed during an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) that the medal gives her strength to carry on.
It was her first Silver after a string of Bronzes at the Asian Gymnastics Championships.
What made it more special was the fact that she was returning from months of injury, followed by bouts of illness.
“To be honest, I had a viral fever before the competition. I was getting zero on my training. Just two weeks before the competition, my preparation was going well. After getting sick, I was losing hope. My coach kept pushing me, asking, ‘Why are you giving up? You can do it’. He gave me quality training,” Pranati revealed.
“Because my body was weak from the fever, we cut down on repetitions. I did what I was supposed to do at the competition. Normally, my repetition goes up to 17, 18, or 20 vaults. But before this competition, I only took eight chances to save my energy. I just wanted to build my confidence, land well, and make the most of the exposure. I was very happy to get the result. I just wanted to increase my confidence and land well. I wanted to use all the exposure I got,” she added.
Pranati’s coach, Ashok Kumar Mishra, lauded her ward on overcoming the physical pain after what happened in Tashkent last October. She had landed awkwardly and had to withdraw from the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
“She had a ligament break in her ankle, but she is a senior player with immense experience and recovered incredibly fast. She worked closely with a physiotherapist, planned her diet with a nutritionist, and consulted a mental trainer to stay sharp,” Mishra revealed.
Landing On Her Feet
Landing on her feet had become an issue after her ankle injury, and overcoming the mental and physical barrier was key for the gymnast.
“After the injury, it was a little difficult for me because I had not competed for five to six months. Before big events like the Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, I needed international exposure,” Pranati said.
“The doctor told me there was no tension, that I just had to land and increase my confidence. What will help me the most for the next competition is my confidence. The fear I had after so many days has reduced after this competition,” she added.
Plans had to be altered, especially with two back-to-back high-profile events in the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games lined up.
“Our original target was for her to play in four World Cups, but the injury made it impossible. The next plan was the Senior Nationals, but she contracted viral fever and tonsillitis just before that, forcing her to sit out. We then requested the gymnastics federation, and keeping her calibre in mind, they cleared her to compete directly in the World Cup,” he explained.
“Her injury is still only about 90 per cent healed. Because the impact of a vault landing is exceptionally high, our main goal was to protect her. We kept the training load low, avoided heavy difficulty elements, and focused entirely on clean execution and a fixed landing,” Mishra revealed.
Double Soft Mats To Soften The Blow
Coach also revealed that she has been training on double soft mats so as to soften the blows in training for the time being.
Pranati, too, is not out to exert herself as she keeps alive the hope of competing at the LA Olympics as well as the 2030 CWG in India.
“I did quality training, not too many repetitions, so that I could save my energy,” Pranati said.
“Both are important. I will focus on both because the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Asian Championships are very important and tough competitions. Along with difficulty, my execution should also be very good. We will have to work on both, and I have already started,” Pranati said.
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