Gymnastics: India's Pranati Nayak clinches silver at FIG World Challenge Cup
Bhubaneswar, May 23
Three-time Asian Championship medallist and Odisha gymnast Pranati Nayak secured the silver medal in the Vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Delivering an impressive performance against a strong international field, Pranati scored 13.025 in the Vault final to earn a podium finish and add another milestone to Indian gymnastics. Her achievement stands as a testament to her relentless hard work, discipline, and commitment to excellence, while also reflecting Odisha's rising presence in the sport at the global level, the Odisha Gymnastics Association informed in a release on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Pranati, who won bronze medals in vault in the 2019, 2022, and 2025 editions of the Asian Championships, is only the third Indian woman gymnast to win an international medal after Dipa Karmakar and Aruna Reddy.
Congratulating Pranati on her success, chief coach Ashok Mishra said, "Pranati's achievement is a proud and inspiring moment for Indian gymnastics. Her dedication and consistency continue to set an example for young athletes across the country. We are delighted to see her shine on the international stage and are confident she will achieve even greater success ahead."
Expressing his happiness on the achievement, Ashok Sahoo, Honourary Secretary of the Odisha Gymnastics Association, said, "Pranati Nayak's silver medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 is a historic and proud moment for Odisha as well as the entire country. Her achievement reflects the growing standard of gymnastics in Odisha and the immense potential of our athletes to excel on the world stage. On behalf of the Odisha Gymnastics Association, I congratulate Pranati for her outstanding performance and wish her continued success in future international competitions."
The Odisha Gymnastics Association extended its heartfelt congratulations to Pranati Nayak for her outstanding accomplishment and wished her continued success in future international competitions.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is wonderful news! 🎉 Pranati Nayak's consistency in winning Asian Championship bronze medals (2019, 2022, 2025) and now a World Challenge Cup silver shows Indian gymnastics is on the rise. Dipa Karmakar started a wave, and now we're seeing real results. Kudos to the Odisha Gymnastics Association for supporting her. India's Olympic dreams in gymnastics are getting closer!
Honestly, while this is a proud moment, we need more infrastructure and training support for gymnasts across India. Look at the medals tally - we're still far from producing multiple medalists regularly. States like Odisha, Tripura, and Kerala are doing good work, but other states should step up too. Pranati's silver is great, but imagine what she could achieve with better facilities! 🤔
What a star! ✨ Pranati Nayak is a true inspiration for young girls in small towns and cities across India. To win a silver medal at the international level at 31 shows her resilience. The fact that she's from Odisha, not a traditional powerhouse in gymnastics, makes it even more special. Big congratulations to her and her coach Ashok Mishra! 🇮🇳
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