After skipping the Gymnastics National Championships held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar earlier this month due to injury, Pranati Nayak came back strong to win silver in the vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Saturday.Pranati, who trains at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, secured a score of 13.025 in the vault final to finish on the podium.Her first vault was a Chusovitina (4.40), which earned her 12.950 points, while her second was a Tsukahara (4.40) for which she was awarded 12.700 points. She also received a bonus of 0.20, taking her total to 13.025.Reflecting on her achievement, she said in a social media post, “The last couple of months have not been easy. There were moments of doubt, setbacks and hard days, but through it all, I never stopped believing. Standing on the podium with this medal is proof that patience, perseverance and faith always pay off.”As for the other medal winners, Thi Quynh Nhu Nguyen of Vietnam claimed gold, while Uzbekistan’s Shakhinabonu Yusufova won bronze.Expressing his happiness, chief coach Ashok Mishra said in a statement, “Pranati has once again showcased her talent and determination on the international stage. This silver medal is a proud moment for Indian gymnastics and for everyone working towards the growth of the sport in Odisha. We are confident she will continue to achieve greater heights in the future.”This was Pranati’s first international event since the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, where she injured herself after a fall during the vault qualification. She eventually pulled out without attempting her second vault and finished without a ranking.Putting the injury behind her, she had a strong previous season, finishing on the podium at the FIG World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, and the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships. Her focus now will be on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, though it remains to be seen whether she will make it.
