India has won its first-ever medal in an international roller skating racing event at the ongoing Asian Championships in China. The trio of Dhanush Babu, Vikram Ingale and Nikhilesh Tabhane won the bronze in the 3,000-metre team relay event. India has previously won medals in the artistic form of roller skating, including two bronze medals at the 2010 Asian Games.
This is the first time in India’s two decade competitive roller skating history, that a medal has been secured in a racing event. In 2010, Arjuna Awardee Anup Kumar Yama secured two bronze medals in the Artistic roller skating event, which is aesthetically different from the racing tournaments. Speaking exclusively from China, the team’s youngest and fastest member Dhanush Babu said, “This is hands down the biggest achievement in roller speed skating history for India. We have worked day and night to achieve this goal and it feels great. For me personally, this is my first year of senior level competition and I managed to clock the fastest time at the nationals as well. So it’s been a fruitful 2016. We only hope that this medal is going to boost the sport’s popularity back home.”
The top six skaters from the nationals held in Vizag earlier this year were the ones to be shortlisted to represent the national. Despite being the cream of the crop in the country, the skaters still have to self-fund their international trips. Dhanush added, “We pay to participate in these events from our own pocket. The spot in itself is extremely popular at the school and college level. I hope this victory raises the eyebrows of the Sports Ministry and the administration as we attend only a handful of international events in a year.”
