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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
How gymnast Pranati battles injuries to find success
New Delhi: Pranati Nayak breaks into a big smile at the mention of the Asian Championships. Last month in the South Korean city of Jecheon, the seasoned Indian gymnast earned a well-deserved women's vault bronze, her third in the continental event after Ulaanbaatar 2019 and Doha 2022. In March, she had also clinched the same metal at the World Cup in Antalya. Pranati Nayak earned a women's vault bronze at the Asian Championships at Jecheon, South Korea last month. (Getty Images) But all this success has come at a cost. In a sport where athletes start and retire pretty early, Pranati continues to deliver at well over 30, which means her recovery takes time, especially in recent times as her body is afflicted with multiple injuries. 'I have injuries in my right elbow and both the ankles. I have a tennis elbow because of which it pains a lot. Despite being right-handed, I don't do anything with my right hand. From filling bottles to drinking water, I do everything with my left hand. I use my right hand only during training and give it rest for the rest of the time,' Pranati told HT over a video call from Bhubaneswar. 'I have had chronic pain in my right ankle for over two years now. I regularly do rehab but as soon as I participate in a competition, the load and consequently the pain increases. After competition, I take a week's rest. Then I start again. This is how I manage my competitions and training.' It has become a norm for Pranati to meet doctors, physios and undergo scans on a regular basis. Unlike her younger days, the diminutive gymnast now takes at least a week to recover after a competition. It is understandable given the load her ankles take. Pranati, who mainly attempts the 720 Tsukahara vault these days, makes 15 landings even before competition starts. The number can go up if the landings are not perfect. Also, these landings are on hard mats as they are done on competition podiums unlike in training where she lands in a mud pit. 'We mostly train in the pit. That way, we can save our feet and ankles. It's a softer landing, meaning we can take more repetitions. The landing mat is very hard. My ankle swells up each time after competition. It also happens when I travel. When I sit, my feet don't reach the floor. It just hangs in the air. That also leads to swelling,' said the Olympian, who is only 4 feet and 9 inches tall. But Pranati has taken injuries in her stride and accepted the fact that her body will not get younger and that she has to manage it. Unlike back in the day when a massage, steam or ice bath would decrease the pain, she is coping with how to handle her pain. 'I have to move forward with this. I am used to it now. My only concern is how to recover and train well. For that I have to maintain my weight, make sure there are no additional injuries,' said the gymnast from Bengal. Having clinched the bronze at the Asian Championships, Pranati is eyeing further glory as she will next take part in the FIG World Challenge Cup in Paris and Szombathely (both in September) followed by the Jakarta World Championships in October. Next year, the World Cup series starts in February as she has firmly set her target at the Commonwealth Games followed by the Asian Games. While Indian gymnasts have won multiple medals at the Asian Championships, they have not been able to replicate the success at the Asian Games where India have won only one medal till date — Ashish Kumar's bronze in men's floor exercise in Guangzhou 2010. If she qualifies, Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will be her fourth Asian Games. 'If we can win a medal in Asian Championships, we can also at Asian Games. The same gymnasts participate in both. There is no difference. If I give my best, there can be a good chance of winning a medal. I have to get more points. This is my goal,' said Pranati, who last month was added to the sports ministry's Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme.
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
After three podium finishes at continental level, gymnast Pranati Nayak braces for Chinese challenge on vault ahead of Asian Games
She has a hat-trick of bronze medals on the vault at the Asian Gymnastics Championships, but it's the elusive gold that keeps Pranati Nayak pushing through pain, living a monkish, solitary existence with no social life in Bhubaneswar. She also has to make do with eating measured morsels to keep her weight down, so she can push through an extra half of a rotation, and do a 720 Tsukahara, rather than a 540. 'And now the Chinese have started showing up in vault which they didn't earlier,' Pranati says in mock apocalyptic tones, laughing at her luck, a month after returning from Jecheon, South Korea, with a third bronze, after Ulaanbaatar 2019 and Doha 2022. It was much before her qualification stumble at the continental championships when her three oversteppings cost her a penalty that she gleaned the competition and noticed her nemesis – the Chinese. The global powerhouse in gymnastics aces the Floor exercise, uneven bars and balance beam, but have made headway into Vault at the Asian level, a novelty for Pranati who admits to being deflated at the literal leaps-and-bounds progress of the Chinese vaulters, who have not won a women's vault medal at the Olympics since their bronze at Beijing 2008. Sure enough, Paris Olympian Zhang Yinan took gold at Jecheon with 13.650 on the vault, closely followed by Nguyn Thi Quyhn Nhur with 13.583. Pranati averaged 13.466. 'It was tough to digest. I didn't think Chinese vaulters would be a challenge, so I will have to prepare for that before the Asian Games. In qualification when I was 4th, there was the (Uzbek, 48-year- old) legend Oksana Chusovitina, and the Vietnamese. But the Chinese had me worried,' she says. 'Qualifying was not great, I was scared.' Attempting the Tsukahara 540 (Difficulty 5.2, like the Chinese and Vietnamese), Pranati stuttered with three oversteps and copped a penalty. 'We train on Gymnova brand apparatus. There it was Tyson, a different make of springboard. With my ankle injury, take-off on this brand was a disaster,' she explains, not as an excuse, but stating her inability on a lift-off, where she didn't gain the spring for elevation and rotations, affecting her landing. In the finals, she had 13.666 on her first vault with Difficulty 5.2 (scoring 8.466 on Execution) and in the second, a handspring. Though her D-Score of 4.4 was higher than everyone, her 12.866 (highest and equalising Chinese score, with execution at 8.466), could not push her beyond bronze. 'Gold and silver were there for the taking but I couldn't stick a clean landing. One step I ended forward and couldn't go past 14.000,' the 30-year-old rued. While she already has a World Cup bronze from Antalya this year, and is headed to another World Cup series in September, the training-competition balance has had to be carefully managed at her Bhubaneswar base. 'The ankle injury from two years ago is not big. But I have to manage it. It's one week of rest and strengthening and one week of vault training,' she explains, adding that she also has to undergo a bunch of ultrasound examinations for elbow and ankle issues. Thanks to her funding from Welspun, she can access the best medical facilities at a top hospital in Odisha and a curated diet, but Pranati is aware of the challenge. 'At 30, recovery is not easy. I'm maintaining a very strict diet, measuring food, so I can be fit to give optimum results,' she says. All junk has been out of the picture and mildly salted dry fruits are her only indulgence. 'The machines are expensive so that funding helps,' she says, as does the guidance of Ashok Mishra. While she remains India's best-performing gymnast currently, ensuring her personal coach travels (he didn't to Korea) requires funds beyond her TOPS allocation. Being in the well-kitted-out facility means Pranati can access the ABTP (Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance) facility on campus, a huge help. 'But it's ice baths in the room and 2/3 rehab sessions at ABTP,' she says. The Shockwave therapy for muscle pain is a huge addition she has availed, but getting the peak fitness/form/ confidence and pushing technique barriers needs everything coming together. With the Chinese targeting the vault, Pranati literally has to raise her ambitions on higher Difficulty vaults with an eye on the Asian Games.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Time of India
Assam woman seeks Sarma help to trace son missing in Arunachal
Guwahati: In a heartfelt plea, an 82-year-old woman from Guwahati reached out to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma , seeking his help in finding her son, Dr Debanjib Kumar Sharmah. The dentist has been missing since May 31 after embarking on a solo trip to Parashuram Kund in Arunachal Pradesh. Pranati Sharmah expressed her deep concerns about the investigation's progress, pointing out the lack of CCTV footage, absence of witnesses, and the authorities' focus on what she calls an "unsubstantiated drowning theory." "With great hope and aspiration, I write to the chief minister of Assam because I believe he is a leader who listens, who acts, and who stands by his people. As a proud Assamese, I have faith that he will not stay silent when a son of our soil goes missing," Pranati said. Dr Debanjib, 45, disappeared during his visit to Parashuram Kund in Lohit district. The resort management reported him missing (MPR No. 03/25) at Wakro Police Station. His belongings, including his mobile phone, motorcycle keys, wallet, camera, and riding gear, were found untouched in his room, according to his family and friends. After being hospitalized during her son's disappearance, Pranati has become even more determined to uncover the truth. Despite numerous appeals to the authorities in Arunachal Pradesh and requests for a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the family has seen no significant progress. She cited the recent case of Raja Raghuvanshi, where intervention from the chief ministers of Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh was crucial. "When the leadership at the top intervenes, institutions respond," she said. Drawing on her legal expertise, Pranati systematically outlined her concerns. She reached out to Gauhati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi and MLA Shri Atul Bora, and is now seeking a direct meeting with the Assam chief minister. "We — his wife, his daughter, and I — deserve to know what happened to Dr. Debanjib," she wrote to the Assam CM. "We are not seeking sympathy. We are seeking truth." Her resolve remains unshaken: "We will not give up till we find answers." As 25 days have passed without any confirmed sightings or explanations, the family continues to push for an SIT to ensure a thorough investigation involving multiple agencies. Earlier this month, Pranati wrote to Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, expressing her distress and desperation, 10 days after the missing person report was filed by the owner of Tulow Resort regarding the mysterious disappearance of her son. "Let it be placed on record that Debanjib, a highly qualified dentist and an individual of sound judgment, was known for his caution and aversion to water-related activities. He always demonstrated responsible conduct and would not have recklessly ventured into any perilous situation on his own," she said. Guwahati: In a heartfelt plea, an 82-year-old woman from Guwahati reached out to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, seeking his help in finding her son, Dr Debanjib Kumar Sharmah. The dentist has been missing since May 31 after embarking on a solo trip to Parashuram Kund in Arunachal Pradesh. Pranati Sharmah expressed her deep concerns about the investigation's progress, pointing out the lack of CCTV footage, absence of witnesses, and the authorities' focus on what she calls an "unsubstantiated drowning theory." "With great hope and aspiration, I write to the chief minister of Assam because I believe he is a leader who listens, who acts, and who stands by his people. As a proud Assamese, I have faith that he will not stay silent when a son of our soil goes missing," Pranati said. Dr Debanjib, 45, disappeared during his visit to Parashuram Kund in Lohit district. The resort management reported him missing (MPR No. 03/25) at Wakro Police Station. His belongings, including his mobile phone, motorcycle keys, wallet, camera, and riding gear, were found untouched in his room, according to his family and friends. After being hospitalized during her son's disappearance, Pranati has become even more determined to uncover the truth. Despite numerous appeals to the authorities in Arunachal Pradesh and requests for a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the family has seen no significant progress. She cited the recent case of Raja Raghuvanshi, where intervention from the chief ministers of Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh was crucial. "When the leadership at the top intervenes, institutions respond," she said. Drawing on her legal expertise, Pranati systematically outlined her concerns. She reached out to Gauhati MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi and MLA Shri Atul Bora, and is now seeking a direct meeting with the Assam chief minister. "We — his wife, his daughter, and I — deserve to know what happened to Dr. Debanjib," she wrote to the Assam CM. "We are not seeking sympathy. We are seeking truth." Her resolve remains unshaken: "We will not give up till we find answers." As 25 days have passed without any confirmed sightings or explanations, the family continues to push for an SIT to ensure a thorough investigation involving multiple agencies. Earlier this month, Pranati wrote to Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, expressing her distress and desperation, 10 days after the missing person report was filed by the owner of Tulow Resort regarding the mysterious disappearance of her son. "Let it be placed on record that Debanjib, a highly qualified dentist and an individual of sound judgment, was known for his caution and aversion to water-related activities. He always demonstrated responsible conduct and would not have recklessly ventured into any perilous situation on his own," she said.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
For newcomers in films, the path to success is fraught with challenges, says Pranati
B Tired of too many ads? go ad free now reaking away from the small screen, actor Pranati is now making her mark in Kannada cinema. After her debut in Just Pass, she's now set to star opposite Jayaram Karthik in The Veer. 'For newcomers like me, the path to success in the industry is often fraught with challenges. It's tough to connect with big directors and production houses, especially since I'm the first in my family to pursue acting and have no industry contacts,' she admits. Her current opportunities, she shares, came unexpectedly. Excerpts from a chat: 'IT WAS CHALLENGING TO BALANCE BOTH ACTING AND ACADEMICS' 'I began my acting journey with a small role in the TV show Punar Vivaha, produced by Shruthi Naidu ma'am, and also appeared in shows like Brahmagantu and Dance Karnataka Dance,' she shares. However, her acting career soon took a temporary pause. 'I had to take a break from acting to focus on my studies,' Pranati explains. It was while pursuing her degree that she unexpectedly landed the lead role in the Kannada film Just Pass. 'Initially, it was challenging to balance both my passion for acting and academic commitments,' she admits. I love playing natural, realistic roles, especially those with strong emotional scenes. No matter what role Iget, I aim to become the character and give it my all. Even if it's a small role, it should be remembered by audiences Pranati
India.com
23-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- India.com
8 Meaningful Indian Baby Names That Mean 'Life'
Muskan Kalra May 23, 2025 It means Life, existence, living. A popular unisex name in India, Jeevan symbolizes the essence of life itself. It reflects vitality, survival, and the journey of living. The sacred syllable 'Om,' symbolizing the source of all life and creation. Often a boy's name, Pranav is deeply spiritual, referencing the cosmic sound that represents universal life energy in Hinduism. Meaning of Aarush is a First ray of the sun, bright and radiant, signifying the dawn of life. It is a trendy boy's name that captures new beginnings, hope, and the warmth of life starting anew. Meaning of Jeevika is a Source of life, livelihood, water that sustains life. Commonly a girl's name, Jeevika means not just life but also the means to sustain it, symbolizing nourishment and survival. It means Life, long life, duration of life. It is a Popular boy's name, Ayush directly relates to longevity and the blessing of a healthy life. Pranati means Salutation, reverence; life filled with devotion and respect. It is a graceful girl's name that implies a respectful life and a soul devoted to higher principles. It means Earth, giver of life, nurturing, It is a Girl's name symbolizing the Earth which sustains and nurtures all life, representing abundance and fertility. It means Living, full of life, lively. It is a Unisex name signifying vibrance and vitality, often used to describe someone energetic and life-loving. Read Next Story
