AICHI-NAGOYA
India’s sole gymnast at the 2026 Asian Games, Pranati Nayak, qualified for the women’s individual vault final after finishing seventh among 19 competitors in the qualification round with a combined score of 12.916. The eight-gymnast final will be held on September 24.
The 31-year-old recorded 13.000 in her first vault, earning 4.4 for difficulty and 8.600 for execution. She followed it with 12.433 in her second attempt, scoring 4.0 in difficulty and 8.433 in execution. Pranati is competing only in vault, India’s strongest event in artistic gymnastics.
A Tokyo Olympian, Pranati is a three-time bronze medallist at the Asian Gymnastics Championships. She entered the Asian Games after winning silver in the women’s vault at the FIG World Challenge Cup 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her consistent performance across both attempts secured her place in the medal round.
Elsewhere, India’s women’s cricket team won its second successive Asian Games gold, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs after posting 216/3 and bowling them out for 69 in 15.4 overs. The men’s badminton team secured a medal by beating Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals, while the women’s team lost 3-1 to Japan.
Roshibina Devi also assured India of a medal in wushu after defeating Macao’s Chu Man Sin in the women’s 60kg quarterfinal. India’s men’s kabaddi team beat South Korea 63-31, while Sakshi Chaudhary and Jadumani Singh advanced in boxing. India finished the day with seven medals: one gold, four silver and two bronze. Her final is scheduled for September 24 in Japan.