PANAJI: At the last National Games in Gujarat, rhythmic gymnast Sanyukta Kale would have felt that she missed out on a bagful of medals as the individual apparatus events were dropped from the program.
Kale, who had won a record five gold medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in Panchkula last year, did show her prowess by bagging the individual all-round gold medal last year and has now set her eyes on yet another clean sweep in the 37th National Games.
The 17-year-old gymnast will begin her campaign at the Peddem Indoor Sports Complex and will be competing in the individual all-round and individual apparatus – hoop, ball, club and ribbon – events.
And given the conditions and quality of equipments here, she is confident of a clean sweep of gold medals.
“Seeing such advanced technical equipment filled me with excitement, and I thought to myself, ‘The Gold Medal is within reach.’ Having access to high-quality gymnastics mats not only facilitates better performances but also reduces the risk of injury,” said Kale, who recently won two gold and three silver medals in the 25th National Championships in Bengaluru.
Speaking about her o preparations for the 37th National Games, Kale said, “All the gymnasts from Maharashtra are putting in hard work. My primary focus is on enhancing my performance and surpassing my previous records. While winning medals is a goal, self-assessment remains my top priority.”
Kale, who began training for gymnastics at the age of 5, fondly recollected her past accomplishments. “I’ve secured a total of 150 medals in my career, with an impressive 125 of them being gold. Notably, in the Asian Championships held in Thailand in 2019, I made history for India by qualifying seventh in the club apparatus. This marked the first instance of an Indian gymnast reaching the top eight.
She now aims to win more medals on the international stage. “If I am granted the opportunity to participate in international tournaments, I will put forth my best effort and return home with medals.” (ANI)