From Puri to Glasgow, two gymnasts chase CWG dream | Commonwealth Games News

(From left) Tapan Mohanty, Rakesh Patra and Tapeshwarnath Das in Glasgow

As Indian gymnasts kick off their Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow on Friday, two young athletes from Puri, Odisha, will be looking to make their mark on one of the biggest stages of their careers.Tapan Mohanty and Tapeshwarnath Das started gymnastics at a young age after joining the National Sports Hotel in the coastal town. Pursuing a sport that still lacks widespread popularity in India is never easy, but they kept a low profile, believed in the process and are now one of four Indian men’s gymnasts competing in the Commonwealth Games.For Mohanty, being named in the Commonwealth Games squad is the culmination of years of hard work and the youngster is quietly confident after an encouraging performance at last month’s Asian Championships.“It was a great experience and I performed well there. I competed against Olympians and international medalists and I learned a lot by watching how they prepare and compete,” Mohanty said.The gymnast, whose father is a Jagannath temple servant and a former state-level wrestler, believes competing against the best in the world has also changed his perspective.“Seeing them win medals made me realize I can do it too. It gave me confidence and reinforced the importance of staying focused and working hard,” he added.Mohanty, an all-around gymnast, believes his best chance lies in the floor exercise, where he hopes to reach the finals and challenge for a medal. He also represented India in the 2023 Asian Games.Preparing for an event of this magnitude requires weeks of careful planning. After the Asian Championships, the Indian team went to the South Essex Gymnastics Club in Essex, England for a training camp, coached by Scott Hann and Anthony Wise.For Das, the experience in Essex has been invaluable and he believes it will have a big impact once the competition gets underway in Glasgow.“The facilities here are very good and we are training with the same equipment that we use during matches,” Das said while training there.“We also had plenty of time to adapt to the weather and conditions here. If we had traveled directly from India, the adjustment would have been much more difficult.” Being here longer really helped our preparation. “A vault specialist, Das believes overseas training has further strengthened his strongest event because he loves the power and explosiveness of the event.“Success on the vault depends on the execution of technique and technique, which I developed through years of consistent training,” he said.In addition to hours of practice in the gym, both athletes incorporate meditation into their daily lives to maintain mental calm. Equally important is the bond they share growing up in the same city and training together for nearly a decade.Years after starting their journey at the National Sports Hotel in Puri, Das and Mohanty are now on the verge of the biggest game of their careers. Along with their senior and current coach Rakesh Patra, they will be hoping that the journey from Odisha to Glasgow ends with a memorable performance.