New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak’s preparation for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games is being fuelled by the constant support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

International exposure, foreign training, national coaching camps and other sustained support to her and the gymnastics team are being forwarded by the government.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Pranati is currently part of the Senior & Junior Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) National Coaching Camp underway at the High Performance Centre (HPC), Bhubaneswar from May 22 to June 20.

The camp is being conducted in preparation for the 13th Senior Asian Championships to be held in Zunyi, China from June 25 to 28, 2026. Pranati is a part of the Indian Senior WAG team in the competition. The camp in Bhubaneswar has been approved at a total cost of Rs 23.52 lakh and includes 21 campers comprising senior and junior gymnasts, coaches and support staff, the ministry said in a release.

It added that for the continental championships in China next month, the government has approved financial assistance amounting to Rs 36.59 lakh for the participation of the Indian Senior & Junior WAG contingent consisting of 17 members, including players, coaches and support staff.

Pranati has also received significant personalised support under TOPS. Financial assistance of Rs 5.89 lakh was sanctioned for Pranati Nayak along with her coach Ashok Kumar Mishra and physiotherapist Dr. Sweta Attili for participation in the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from May 19 to 25, 2026, where Pranati won a silver medal.

In another major intervention aimed at strengthening India’s gymnastics programme ahead of the Olympic and Asian Games cycle, TOPS sanctioned Rs 75.65 lakh towards an international training camp in the United Kingdom from November 15 to December 15, 2025, along with participation in two international competitions held in February and April 2026.

The programme involved a 16-member Indian gymnastics contingent, including Pranati Nayak. However, Pranati could not be a part of it because of her injury.

Earlier this year, SAI had also approved a Senior National Coaching Camp for gymnastics at HPC Bhubaneswar from February 11 to March 15 as part of India’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2026. The camp involved 27 campers, including senior men and women gymnasts.

–IANS

bc/