National Games 2025: Teen Gymnast Nishka’s golden debut ignites LA 2028 Olympic ambition
National Games 2025: Teen Gymnast Nishka’s golden debut ignites LA 2028 Olympic ambition
16-year-old Nishka Agarwal put up a memorable performance in her debut National Games in Dehradun, winning gold in the table vault and a bronze in the all-round championship of gymnastics.
Her gold medal was especially satisfying, according to her long-time coach and mentor Manoj Rana, as she got the better of Olympian Pranati Nayak along the way.
“This should be a huge morale booster for Nishka, who showed great composure, skill and mental toughness to clinch the gold,” the proud coach told Sportstar.
“Honestly, the preparations were quite normal before the National Games. She always had that spark, and it is a question of starting to win medals on big stages. I feel this gold is just the beginning,” said Manoj, who was also with the national team for 10 years, having earlier trained another Hyderabadi, B. Aruna Reddy, to a World Cup bronze.
“The focus now shifts to the World Cups next month, where she will compete in table vault and floor exercises. She will not be able to make it to Germany due to some visa issues but will be there for the other editions,” said Manoj, who trains Nishka at Gaudium Sportopia here, along with 80 other young talents.
The coach also revealed that he has a ‘special training’ programme planned for the World Cups and hopes it yields results. “The huge plus for me with Nishka is that I have been training her since she was seven, and I know what she essentially needs to do to make it big. We will continue to make the desired efforts, as the eventual goal is to target a medal at the 2028 Olympics,” said the confident coach.
“Nishka’s strong points are her determination, sharp mind, physical strength and willingness to put in that extra effort, never complaining. All she needs is to be mentally tougher, as she will be up against seasoned competitors in the days to come,” Manoj said.
“Well, this is the time she badly needs government support to fund her training programmes abroad. We are grateful to Aurobindo Pharma for its support, but obviously, she needs more,” the coach said.
