Bhubaneswar: In a historic milestone for Indian gymnastics, 16-year-old Pritti Jhankaar of the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre (HPC) has become the first Indian woman gymnast to be awarded the highly coveted World Gymnastics Scholarship 2026.
Considered as one of the most competitive recognitions in global gymnastics, the scholarship is granted by International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to a select few athletes who demonstrate exceptional talent, performance potential, and international promise. This year, Pritti was chosen as one of only 12 gymnasts across 20 countries worldwide and will be receiving Rs 6 lakh scholarship.
Hailing from Bhubaneswar, Pritti has been training at the HPC for the past three years, where she has consistently displayed discipline, resilience, and competitive excellence. During this period, she has earned more than 12 national and international medals, emerging as one of India’s brightest young gymnastics talents.
Her sporting journey includes recognitions in major international and national tournaments such as the Junior Asian Championship 2025 in South Korea, Intercontinental Cup 2025 in Portugal, Junior Artistic Gymnastics National Championship 2024-25 and 2025-26, proving her mettle against some of the world’s leading gymnasts.
Congratulating Pritti, Ashutosh Telang, Director & Vice President – HR & Administration, AM/NS India said, “We are immensely proud of Pritti’s achievement. Getting recognised with the World Gymnastics Scholarship at such a young age is a testament to her extraordinary talent, discipline, and determination. It also reflects the strength of the ecosystem we have built at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre. At AM/NS India, we are committed to nurturing sports by providing athletes world class training, structured support, and opportunities to excel on the global stage. Pritti’s success is not only a personal milestone but also an inspiration for countless young gymnasts across the country, reinforcing our vision of making Indian gymnastics shine brighter internationally.”
On receiving the scholarship, Pritti said, “Receiving the World Gymnastics Scholarship is both a dream come true and the start of an exciting new chapter. This recognition inspires me to work harder, aim higher, and make my country proud on the global stage. Joining the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre early in my journey has been one of the best decisions of my life, which has giving me the structure, guidance, and support to perform in international arenas. I am deeply grateful to my coaches and seniors at the HPC, and I look forward to giving my best in all the future tournaments.”
Pritti’s achievement is a proud reflection of AM/NS India’s CSR initiative ‘Udaan’, which focuses on sports and places it at the heart of community development.
About Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre:
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has partnered with the government of Odisha to promote and grow the sport of gymnastics in India and transform Odisha into a premier gymnastics excellence hub. The ‘Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre’, a facility housed in the Kalinga Stadium is meant for talented athletes participating in the ‘Elite Gymnastics Programme’. Additionally, it includes three ‘Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics Grassroot Centres’ which help identify and nurture young athletes across the state. AM/NS India, through its CSR initiative ‘Udaan,’ trains 360 sports enthusiasts annually, providing them with top-notch coaching by international and national gymnastics experts.
