Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak made a strong comeback after missing the Gymnastics National Championships due to injury, securing a silver medal in the vault event at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Saturday.
Comeback after injury
Pranati, who trains at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar, scored 13.025 points in the vault final to claim the podium finish. She had skipped the National Championships held earlier this month at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar due to an injury.
Performance details
Her first vault was a Chusovitina (difficulty 4.40), earning 12.950 points. Her second vault was a Tsukahara (difficulty 4.40), for which she received 12.700 points. She also got a bonus of 0.20, bringing her total to 13.025.
Reflection on achievement
In a social media post, Pranati said, "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."
Other medal winners
Thi Quynh Nhu Nguyen of Vietnam won gold, while Uzbekistan's Shakhinabonu Yusufova took bronze in the event.
Coach's reaction
Chief coach Ashok Mishra expressed happiness, stating, "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."
Previous season and future goals
This was Pranati's first international event since the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, where she injured herself after a fall during vault qualification and withdrew without completing her second vault, finishing without a ranking. Despite that setback, 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 is on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, though her participation remains uncertain.
