Pranati Nayak refuses to let injuries define her, set for Asian Games challenge

Pranati Nayak heads into her fourth Asian Games after overcoming injuries and a demanding rehabilitation process, with her maiden continental Games medal firmly in sight. The 31-year-old gymnast, India's sole representative in the sport, will rely on renewed fitness, mental preparation and careful vault selection in Aichi-Nagoya.

For Pranati Nayak, the road to another Asian Games has once again passed through the familiar territory of injury, rehabilitation and the long wait to feel like herself again. Yet, as she prepares for her fourth appearance at the continental showpiece, the 31-year-old Indian gymnast is refusing to allow those setbacks to become the defining story of her career.

Nayak, the only Indian gymnast selected for the Asian Games, left for Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on Wednesday night, carrying with her an ambition that has remained unfulfilled through three previous appearances, an Asian Games medal.

This year's preparations have been shaped by plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the foot that affected her during the season and contributed to her missing the women's vault final at the Commonwealth Games. But Nayak believes she has put that difficult phase behind her.

"I am 100 per cent fit now. Injury is a part of a gymnast's life. A gymnast has a lot of injuries. We have to take care of them," she told PTI.

The challenge has not simply been physical. For a gymnast, returning from injury also means rebuilding confidence in movements that once came naturally, particularly when attempting high-difficulty vaults.

"It is very difficult. The recovery takes a long time. After that injury, I had to face a lot of problems. But I never gave up. I will try to give my 100 per cent in the upcoming competition," Nayak said.

Nayak had already experienced a significant setback in 2025 when she suffered a grade 2 ankle ligament tear. Her recovery eventually produced a reminder of her ability to compete at the highest level, with the Midnapore gymnast winning a silver medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Tashkent in May this year.

Her Commonwealth Games experience, however, brought another lesson. Nayak insists her mistake in Glasgow was not caused by injury, but acknowledges how difficult it was to move past the disappointment.

"I had made a mistake while running (in Glasgow) but injury was not the reason behind it. After coming back from Commonwealth Games, I have focused on perfection, landing and flexibility. I made a running mistake."

"I can't do anything about it now. It was a very difficult phase for me. Now I am ready and focused," she added.

The comeback has also involved considerable attention to the mental side of gymnastics. Nayak has consulted psychologists and worked on keeping her attention on the routine rather than the pressure surrounding the competition.

"I have worked with a lot of psychologists. They say that you should focus on what you are doing. If you think well, it will be good. You should train your mind. Even if I can't train much, I can keep repeating the drill in my mind," she said.

ANOTHER ASIAN GAMES, ANOTHER CHANCE AT HISTORY

Nayak arrives in Japan with an impressive collection of continental and international medals. She is the first Indian gymnast to win three Asian Championship medals, while her World Cup bronze medals from Cairo in 2024 and Antalya in 2025 underline her longevity at the international level.

But an Asian Games medal remains conspicuously absent.

She knows the task ahead will be demanding, particularly with leading gymnasts from across Asia in the field.

"The Asian Games will be very tough. All the top gymnasts and a lot of Olympic medallists will participate. I saw them in the qualification for the Asian Games," Nayak said.

Her high-difficulty Tsukahara 720 remains an option, but the immediate focus is on execution and a clean performance. Nayak herself is keeping the decision open, choosing to assess her landing and jumping before deciding how far she should push the difficulty.

"My competition is with myself, so I will try to give my best. I will see how I am landing and how is my jumping and then will decide which vault I will go for," she said.

At 31, Nayak is also looking beyond Nagoya, with another Olympic appearance in Los Angeles still part of her ambitions. For now, though, her attention is on extending a career that has repeatedly demanded patience, resilience and the ability to start over. Her fourth Asian Games offers another opportunity to turn that persistence into a medal.