Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 26: Indian gymnastics has found two promising young stars in Harschit Damodharan and Akshat Bajaj, whose historic performances at the 13th Senior and 19th Junior Men's Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Zunyi have raised hopes of sustained success for the country on the international stage.

The duo scripted history by securing the gold and silver medals respectively in the Junior Men's Vault event, marking India's first-ever one-two finish in the discipline at the continental championships.

Harschit Damodharan delivered a career-defining performance on June 23, claiming the gold medal with an impressive score of 13.649 points. Akshat Bajaj followed closely with 13.433 points to secure silver, while Uzbekistan's Bekzad Bakhtiyarov finished third with 13.283 points.

The achievement is being hailed as a landmark moment for Indian gymnastics, particularly at the junior level, where international podium finishes have traditionally been rare.

Congratulating the young gymnasts, Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva described the victory as a watershed moment for Indian sport.

"For the first time, India has won a gold medal in gymnastics at this level, creating history. This achievement reflects the growing strength of Indian sports, the dedication of our athletes and the country's evolving sporting culture. It is a proud moment for every Indian," he wrote on social media platform X.

The success of Damodharan and Bajaj adds a new chapter to Indian gymnastics, which has steadily progressed over the past decade through the achievements of senior stars such as Dipa Karmakar, Aruna Reddy, Ashish Kumar and Pranati Nayak.

Dipa Karmakar brought global recognition to Indian gymnastics with her daring Produnova vault at the 2016 Rio Olympics and later won gold medals at the 2018 World Challenge Cup in Mersin and the 2024 Asian Championships in Tashkent. Ashish Kumar became India's first Commonwealth Games medallist in gymnastics by winning silver and bronze at the 2010 Delhi Games, while Aruna Reddy secured a historic bronze at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Melbourne. Pranati Nayak has also consistently earned medals at Asian Championships and FIG World Cup events.

However, a gold medal at a major international competition had remained elusive for India's male gymnasts until Damodharan's breakthrough performance in Zunyi.

The Asian Gymnastics Union also highlighted India's historic achievement on its official website, describing the gold-silver finish as one of the standout performances of the junior finals.

The continental federation noted that India produced one of the headline results of the championship as Harschit Damodharan edged teammate Akshat Bajaj to clinch the vault title.

Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood also congratulated the athletes, describing their success and India's first-ever gold-silver finish in the event, along with the team's bronze medal, as a proud milestone for the country.

The latest success follows India's bronze medal in the junior team competition on June 19 and reflects the growing impact of the Odisha government's high-performance training programme, of which both Damodharan and Bajaj are beneficiaries.

Damodharan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, had signalled his medal prospects by topping the qualification round before producing an outstanding display in the final. His opening handspring front double twist earned 13.866 points, while a well-executed Tsukahara 720 in his second vault secured the highest overall average and the gold medal.

Bajaj also impressed with clean executions of the Tsukahara 720 and Yurchenko 720 vaults, finishing with an average score of 13.433 to complete India's historic podium sweep.

With both gymnasts still in the junior ranks, Indian gymnastics stakeholders now see them as strong medal prospects for future senior competitions, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympic Games, which India is bidding to host.

Their performances in Zunyi have not only rewritten India's gymnastics record books but have also strengthened hopes of a brighter future for the sport in the country.