CM Naveen Patnaik honored gymnast Pranati Nayak with Rs 23 lakh cash prize for her excellent performance in National Games

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday honored gymnast Pranati Nayak for her remarkable achievement in the 37th National Games in Goa. Patnaik felicitated Pranati with a cash prize of Rs 23 lakh for her five medals (4 gold and 1 silver). He also congratulated head coach Ashok Mishra.

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Shining in women's artistic gymnastics, the young gymnast from Jhargram, West Bengal started her campaign with a coveted gold in the all-round event and followed it up with gold medals in the vault event, beams event and uneven bars apparatus. However, in floor exercise, Nayak missed the gold medal by a narrow margin, but still found herself on the podium with a silver medal.

Pranati, displaying her outstanding form and determination to succeed, won a staggering four gold and a silver medal in gymnastics at the national showpiece.

CM Naveen Patnaik expressed pride in Pranati's achievements and said, "Pranati Nayak's achievements are a testament to the talent that we nurture in our state. She has made Odisha proud with her outstanding performance at the National Games".

The Chief Minister assured Pranati of all possible assistance for the upcoming competitions. VK Pandian, chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha, was also present on this occasion and congratulated her. "The dedication of such coaches and athletes is an inspiration towards transformation of sports in Odisha", he said.

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Athlete Pranati Nayak of Odisha, and athlete of AMNS/India Gymnastics High-Performance Center at Kalinga Stadium, has been under the able guidance of her head coach Ashok Mishra. Her constant quest for excellence and the guidance of her coach have been instrumental in her success. Pranati Nayak and coach Ashok Mishra expressed their deep gratitude to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and thanked Odisha for supporting and promoting gymnastics from the grassroots level to the elite class.