NAYAK Pranati

General
TOKYO PREPARATIONS
She received a continental quota to compete the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She had not been planning to compete at the 2020 Games after failing to achieve the qualifying score at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. "I was disappointed at the world [championships], so I spent all of the [COVID-19] lockdown [in 2020] keeping in shape and not going out of training for a single day. For almost a year [speaking in 2021], I had no [proper] equipment to practice. For us [gymnasts], maintaining physique and strength is of utmost importance. I've now got the information about my qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, which is just two months before the Games are set to begin. So I'm doubling up on my efforts, and I've made up for the lost time but a long journey remains. Olympics wasn't on my training plan then - this was unexpected. I wanted to do well at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham." (hindustantimes.com, 17 May 2021; indianexpress.com, 09 May 2021; sportskeeda.com, 06 May 2021; thebridge.in, 01 May 2021)

FAMILY BACKGROUND
Her father was a state transport bus driver in West Bengal until 2017, and she has had to take care of the family after he retired. "Everything I do is for my parents. They've not had an easy life, and I want to ensure my father gets comfortable. He's driven a bus for many years and now I want life to be a little easy for him." (hindustantimes.com, 17 May 2021; olympics.com, 03 May 2021; indianexpress.com, 22 Jun 2019; timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 30 May 2018)

INFLUENTIAL COACH
She began working with coach Minara Begum at age eight until 2019 when Begum retired. Begum even paid for her living expenses when Nayak first moved to Kolkata for training in 2004. "My parents couldn't have afforded my sports career. [Begum] took care of my stay, food, other expenses and pocket money." (indianexpress.com, 09 May 2021; thebridge.in, 05 May 2021; espn.com, 02 May 2021; indianexpress.com, 22 Jun 2019; sportstar.thehindu.com, 26 Jun 2019)