India’s only gymnast at Tokyo Olympics – Pranati Nayak

Since it was revealed that Pranati Nayak is the only second Indian gymnast to secure a place in the Olympics, her name has frequently been mentioned in the news. There were rumors that Pranati Nayak would be representing India in the Olympics for a week, but the details were unclear. When the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, a requirement for the Tokyo Olympics, were postponed due to Covid, the picture started to become clearer. Even though the International Gymnastics Federation did not issue an official declaration, Pranati Nayak will travel to Tokyo. This is how Pranati Nayak’s life story unfolded and how she was chosen!

Olympics in Tokyo

There were 12 Indian athletes who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. 117 Indian athletes earned spots in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. They couldn’t all surpass India’s six medals at the London Olympics in 2012, which still rank as the nation’s highest total at any Olympic Game. We have strong expectations that the threshold will be crossed in Tokyo, given the presence of multiple Indian athletes at the top of the world rankings.

Pranati Nayak’s journey

Pranati Nayak is from Jhargram, West Bengal, and has had a modest upbringing. Her mother is a homemaker, while her father supported the family by working as a bus driver until 2017. Even though the Nayak family had difficulty making ends meet, they allowed the youngster to follow her heart.

After starting gymnastics at age 9, Pranati moved to Kolkata on the advice of her school instructor. She gained additional knowledge about the sport in Kolkata. She discovered Minara Begum, her mentor and coach, who has taken care of all of Pranati’s financial needs. From her time in Kolkata to all her other arrangements, Minara Begum took care of everyone and everything.

How Pranati Nayak achieved success

Pranati Nayak attained success thanks to Minara Begum’s guidance. She obtained a position with the Indian Railways due to her consistent performance. The 2019 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships were responsible for her life’s transformation. By winning the bronze medal in Mongolia, she attained national recognition. Later, this bronze medal helped her qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo. She became the second Indian to represent India at the Olympics in Tokyo.

Performance at the Olympic

Pranati Nayak could not advance past the top 24 gymnasts in the competition. As a result, she missed all five artistic gymnastics competitions.

Conclusion

This was about Pranati Nayak, the only gymnast from India competing at the Olympics in Tokyo. We hope her journey and achievements inspire the youth of this nation to actively take up sports in the future. Maintain a connection with 21KSkills for more such excellent stuff!