Pranati Nayak won silver at the FIG World Challenge Cup

Pranati Nayak of India (AP photo) After missing the national gymnastics championships held at the 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 Center in Bhubaneswar, secured a score of 13.025 in the vault final to finish on the podium.Her first jump was Chusovitina (4.40), which earned her 12.950 points, while her second was Tsukahara (4.40), which earned her 12.700 points. She also received a 0.20 bonus, bringing her total to 13.025.Reflecting on her achievement in a post on social media, she said: “The last few months have not been easy. There have been moments of doubt, setbacks and hard days, but through it all I have never stopped believing. Standing on the podium with this medal is proof that patience, perseverance and faith always pay off.”As for the other medalists, Vietnam’s Thi Quynh Nhu Nguyen won the gold, while Uzbekistan’s Shakhinabonu Yusufova won the bronze.Expressing her happiness, head coach Ashok Mishra said in a statement: “Pranati has once again demonstrated her talent and determination on the international stage. This silver medal is a proud moment for Indian gymnastics and for everyone working to grow the sport in Odisha. We are confident that she will continue to reach greater heights in the future.”It was Pranati’s first international event since the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, where she was injured after falling during the vault qualification. She eventually pulled out without attempting a second jump and finished unplaced.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 Asian Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She will now set her sights on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, although it remains to be seen whether she will be able to do so.