Pranati Nayak is another female gymnast on the block after Dipa Karmakar

New Delhi, Aug 27: Pranati Nayak is being hailed as the country’s second best female gymnast after Dipa Karmakar. In the last month, Pranati also missed bronze by a whisker in the senior Asian Gymnastics Championship in Bangkok.

She finished fourth in the vault, dragging similar picture when Dipa Karmakar finished at the fourth position in the Rio Olympics.

Pranati Nayak, at present, is at the senior national preparatory camp in New Delhi. The 22-year-old gymnast is the student of Kolkata’s Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach Minara Begum.

Pranati is originally from West Bengal's Midnapore district. Her father was a bus driver. Due to illness, he has not been able to continue his job.

Pranati while speaking over phone told MyKhel, “When I was selected by Minara madam around 10 years back, I was in dire distress. Even, after coming to Kolkata from my village I did not have any place to live in. Minara madam came forward and stood beside me. I could not have reached this position if madam was not there.”

Pranati seems ecstatic after getting the opportunity of training under Dronacharya awardee coach Bishweshwar Nandi in the national camp.

The gymnast said, “Nandi sir’s training style is simply outstanding. Immediately after joining the national camp in the first week of August I fell severely ill. I had to lie on the bed in the hostel. Nandi sir and Dipa Karmakar used to see me every evening after the end of training. After I resumed conditioning training under him, he used to deliver so many inspiring messages during the warm-up sessions that any gymnast would be encouraged and deliver best even in the training.”

However, according to Pranati, the trend of attempting the famous and difficult Produnova vault, that was launched by Dipa in the Rio Olympics, is changing gradually.

She said, “Produnova’s score has reduced to 6.7. Then why should a gymnast try to master such a difficult vault. We all are trying to focus on Tsukahara 720 degree vault. Even Dipa might change her famous Produnova.”