- Brilliant performance by Odisha AM/NS India in gymnastics competition
- Name engraved on 11 medals in national competition
- Golden performance by Preity Zhankar and Rose Minzi
Mumbai : Odisha AM/NS India Youth Gymnasts put up a strong performance at the CBSE National Gymnastics Championship 2026 held at Pune, Maharashtra. A total of 13 athletes from Bhubaneswar Gymnastics High Performance Center and Odisha India Gymnastics Grassroots Center in Rourkela participated in this competition. These players represented various schools. Among over 350 athletes participating from across the country, Odisha's gymnasts performed brilliantly.
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In this tournament, Preeti Zhankar represented the under-17 girls category. Subhidita Bagh, Shoumyasree Priyadarshini and Jasmin Praharaj participated in the Under 14 category. So, Rose Minzi participated in the under-11 girls category. Interestingly, athletes from the Odisha Gymnastics Grassroots Center at Rourkela participated in the national level competition for the first time. From this centre, Advin Nag and Pranabjain Mahala participated in the Under 11 Boys category, Adarisha Kothari in the Under 14 Girls category, while Priya Badaik, Rimzim Sil, Pankuri Sil, Adyasha Patra and Bidyanka Behra participated in the Under 11 Girls category.
Golden performance by Preity Zhankar and Rose Minzi
Athletes from Odisha recorded an impressive presence in the medal table of the tournament. In the under-17 girls category, Preeti Zhankar bagged two gold medals by topping both the all-around and balance beam.
Rose Minzi also performed brilliantly in the under-11 girls category. She won gold medals in all-around and balance beam, while silver in floor exercise. In the under-14 category, Shaumyasree Priyadarshini won silver in balance beam and bronze in vault. In the same age category, Subhidita Bagh bagged two silver medals in uneven bars and vault. Meanwhile, Grassroots Centre's Pranabjain Mahal bagged a bronze medal in the under-11 boys' parallel bars event.
Proud of the success of young players – Ashutosh Telang
Ashutosh Telang, Director of AM/NS India and Vice President of Human Resources and Administration, congratulated the players while expressing his happiness for the performance of the players. He said, “The success achieved by our athletes in the CBSE National Gymnastics Championship 2026 is a matter of pride. This performance reflects their hard work, dedication to the sport, discipline and determination. It is a matter of happiness that the athletes of the Grassroots Center in Rourkela have proved their mettle in the first national competition. While the athletes of the High Performance Center have shown the quality of their training and skills through medals. Encouraging new talent in sports and training from the very beginning AM/NS India is constantly striving to provide the necessary facilities and guidance to athletes to achieve the highest level of performance.”
Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics Centre
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has partnered with the Government of Odisha to promote the sport of gymnastics in India and make Odisha a premier center of excellence in the field of gymnastics.
Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Center (Odisha AM/NS GHPC) is located at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. It started in 2023. The center provides high quality training to talented athletes under the 'Elite Gymnastics Programme'. In addition, three Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics Grassroots Centers are functioning across the state, through which young athletes are identified and encouraged.
AM/NS India trains 450 gymnasts every year under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative 'Udaan'. These players get high quality guidance from national and international level expert coaches.
Athletes from Odisha AM/NS GHPC have excelled in prestigious national and international competitions like International Continental Cup 2026 in Lisbon, Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships 2025, FIG World Cup 2025 in Antalya, Turkey and Artistic Gymnastics National Championships. So far, athletes from this center have won more than 400 medals in various competitions.
Under this comprehensive programme, athletes are provided sports training along with academic support and national-international level experience. Emphasis is also placed on developing skilled coaches, trainers and support staff to prepare players at the world level. The center works closely with major sports bodies like Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI), Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Odisha Gymnastics Association (OGA).
The focus is on holistic development of athletes through modern sports science facilities, specialized nutrition and health guidance as well as planned talent scouting camps. Apart from training, the center has also developed into an important venue for national and international sports events including FIG Coaches Training Programme, National Championships and special training camps.
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