City girls and sister duo Priyanka and Anshika Sagar have brought laurels to India by winning gold and silver medals in the recently concluded Sixth Zhong Ling Cup in China. They won the medals in the rhythmic gymnastics category, a first of its kind for the state.
Priyanka (17), the elder of the two, showcased her gymnastic moves on Sahore, a music track from super-hit film Baahubali.
“Picking the Baahubali song was my mother’s idea. The track features beautiful instrumentals with great repercussions, and is ideal to showcase my gymnastic moves,” says Priyanka, recalling that before this sport, she was passionate about martial arts. “I became fascinated with gymnastics at seven. I have been training under Coach P. Ravindra Kumar since the last 10 years,” she mentions.
On the other hand, Priyanka’s sister, Anshika has a different story to share. “I was inspired by seeing my sister pulling off some incredible gymnastic moves, so I thought why not give it a shot. Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the toughest sports to get into, but once the body gets flexible, we can get into any sport,” elucidates 13-year-old Anshika, who showcased the free hands and ball routine of gymnastics.
Interestingly, Anshika credits her sister for restoring her conviction. “In countries like Russia and Uzbekistan, gymnastics is famous. We wanted to show the world that we can compete too. But the day before the final, I was a bit stressed and she asked me to focus only on the techniques of the movements. I guess it paid off big time,” says the class VIII student of Medhas International school.
However, like most stories about success and grit, the Sagar sisters’ road to the medals has not been a cake-walk. “It was very difficult initially to manage studies and gymnastic together, but later I understood how to balance both. There’s still a long way to go and my target is the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics,” says a goal-driven Priyanka, who studies in Sri Gayatri College.
Talking about her own challenges, young Anshika says, “I am glad that my sister has been a great support system. After winning the medal, support has been coming in from everywhere.”
