Midnapore to Tokyo, India’s only gymnast recounts her journey to Olympics
Hailing from a small village of Midnapore in West Bengal, this gymnast is now headed to Japan. Pranati Nayak is the first Indian female gymnast who has been confirmed to represent the country at the quadrennial event upcoming in Tokyo.
“I’ve been dreaming of the Olympics ever since I was told about them. From not knowing about Olympics to now qualifying for it, I’ve come a really long way, and I am glad!” says Nayak, 26, who is presently training in Kolkata, and hoping to vault into history. “For almost a year,
I had no equipment to practice. For us (gymnasts), maintaining our physique and strength is of utmost importance. I got the information about my qualification for the Tokyo Olympics only now, which is just two months before the games are set to begin. So I’m doubling up my efforts, and I’ve made up for the lost time but a long journey remains,” adds Nayak.
One from a “humble background”, she narrates the struggles that her parents had to undertake so that she could fulfil her dreams. “I started gymnastics thinking it was like yoga (chuckles). I used to practice in my village, and do the chakrasana. When I was eight, I got the opportunity to train at SAI (Sports Authority of India), in Kolkata, but didn’t get an accommodation. So, my parents decided to stay with me alternatively, in a rented place. But, when my mother wasn’t home, my younger sister had to face difficulties. And when my father was staying with me, the finances were tough to manage because he couldn’t pursue his job as a bus driver,” Nayak, who now has a job with the Indian Railways, says.
“My parents did a lot for me. Now I must take care of them,” Nayak says, confessing that she is certainly facing the performance pressure of being in the Olympics. “Pressure toh hai hi acha karne ka, duniya dekhegi. But I have the support of many people,” she says.