From Glasgow setback to Nagoya challenge, Pranati Nayak aims to get it right this time at Asian Games

KOLKATA: When Pranati Nayak gets ready to sprint down the runway at Nagoya City General Gymnasium during the Asian Games later this month, the memory of Glasgow will inevitably return.At the Commonwealth Games, a lack of speed in her approach disrupted her first vault in the qualifying round, costing her valuable points and, ultimately, a place in the final.It was obviously not something one is used to seeing from Nayak and even left her long-time coach Ashok Mishra at a loss for words. “It was the first time I had seen her miss the running,” said Mishra.He, however, downplayed concerns over her injury, insisting that it was not what cost her in Glasgow. She had been dealing with plantar fasciitis — a problem underneath the foot that caused some pulling while running — but had competed with it before and even won a medal this year.Despite that, coach Mishra didn’t want to take any risks and made sure she got enough rest to prepare for her fourth Asian Games appearance, where she will compete only in the vault.“It is around 90-95% cured. Just 5% remains, and that is not a problem for her,” added Mishra. “After the Commonwealth Games, I gave her around three weeks of complete rest. So, she recovered. Otherwise, if we had continued training, it could have aggravated the injury.”But more importantly, the time helped her heal mentally.“She is now mentally much more mature. After everything, we just analyse it and focus on the next,” said Mishra. Also helping her stay focused are psychologists who not only talk to her but also help her with concentration exercises.Irrespective of that, one cannot deny that age is not on her side anymore and that it does make things difficult for the 31-year-old. Still, coach Mishra is confident that Nayak is all set for the challenge.That confidence is rooted in what Nayak has achieved since contemplating walking away from the sport after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She has since won two Asian Championship medals, two World Cup medals and one World Challenge Cup medal for India — a run that explains why Mishra still believes she has earned her place among the country’s best.But there is no doubt that the competition will be fierce at the Asian Games.China, Japan, North and South Korea and Chinese Taipei are among the leading gymnastics nations in the continent, while countries such as Philippines and Malaysia have also strengthened their programmes. The Korean gymnasts, in particular, are expected to pose a major challenge on vault.“It’s going to be a very difficult test for her. But I think she will do well. If she does both the 360-degree twist vaults cleanly with a fixed landing, then there is a very good possibility of her going to the final because execution matters,” said Mishra.Keeping this in mind, the coach has centred her training on reducing executional errors and improving explosive strength. To make sure she can do that, Nayak has been working on plyometrics, explosive leg-strength exercises and isometric muscle contractions.She has also been training on soft-landing equipment and in the foam pit, where the physical impact is reduced, before making the transition to the main landing area.For Mishra, that transition is as much mental as physical. “When it comes to the main landing area, it is much more difficult psychologically. You think about how heavy the impact will be,” he said.Nayak certainly has enough experience to make that shift at the right moment. After all, she remains India’s lone gymnast at the Asian Games for the second time in a row. And when she makes that run in Nagoya, the objective will be simple: get the approach right, execute the vault cleanly and, this time, make it to the final.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.