Sports Authority of India support powering Gymnast Pranati Nayak's road to Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2026
New Delhi, May 29
Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak's preparation for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games is being fueled by the constant support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the Sports Authority of India, and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
According to a release, International exposure, foreign training, national coaching camps and other sustained support to her and the gymnastics team are being provided by the Government.
Tokyo 2020 Olympian Pranati is currently part of the Senior and Junior Women's Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) National Coaching Camp underway at the High Performance Centre (HPC), Bhubaneswar, from May 22 to June 20.
The camp is being conducted in preparation for the 13th Senior Asian Championships to be held in Zunyi, China, from June 25 to 28.
Pranati is a part of the Indian Senior WAG team in the competition. The camp in Bhubaneswar has been approved at a total cost of Rs 23.52 lakh and includes 21 campers comprising senior and junior gymnasts, coaches and support staff.
For the continental championships in China next month, the Government has approved financial assistance amounting to Rs 36.59 lakh for the participation of the Indian Senior & Junior WAG contingent consisting of 17 members, including players, coaches and support staff.
Pranati has also received significant personalised support under TOPS. Financial assistance of Rs 5.89 lakh was sanctioned for Pranati Nayak, along with her coach Ashok Kumar Mishra and physiotherapist Dr. Sweta Attili, for participation in the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from May 19 to 25, where Pranati won a silver medal.
In another major intervention aimed at strengthening India's gymnastics programme ahead of the Olympic and Asian Games cycle, TOPS sanctioned Rs 75.65 lakh towards an international training camp in the United Kingdom from November 15 to December 15 last year, along with participation in two international competitions held in February and April this year.
The programme involved a 16-member Indian gymnastics contingent, including Pranati Nayak. However, Pranati could not be a part of it because of her injury.
Earlier this year, SAI had also approved a Senior National Coaching Camp for gymnastics at HPC Bhubaneswar from February 11 to March 15, as part of India's preparations for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2026. The camp involved 27 campers, including senior men and women gymnasts.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some good news for women's gymnastics! Rs 75 lakh for UK training camp is impressive. But why couldn't Pranati go due to injury? Hope the support staff and medical team are also being well taken care of. We need a proper ecosystem for gymnastics in India, not just one-off camps.
This is what we want - systematic support for athletes! From local coaching camps in Bhubaneswar to international exposure in China, UK and Uzbekistan. The government is spending wisely on our talent. Pranati's silver medal in Tashkent shows the results. More power to SAI and MYAS! 💪
I appreciate the support but let's be honest - the amounts mentioned (Rs 23 lakh for a camp, Rs 36 lakh for China trip) are still modest compared to what top athletes from other countries get. We need to scale up massively if we want to compete with China, USA, and Russia in gymnastics. Good start though. 👏
So happy for Pranati! She's been through so much - injuries, lack of facilities initially. Now seeing proper support from SAI makes me emotional. This is how you build champions. All the best for Asian Championships in China! 🏆✨
Good initiative but I wonder how many such gymnasts from smaller towns are still not getting this level of support. Pranati is from Odisha and got noticed. There must be many more talented girls in rural areas who need proper scouting and infrastructure. Need a grassroots development plan. 🤔
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