India creates history at Speed Skating World Championships with five medals
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The Indian contingent returned home on Tuesday to a warm welcome at Delhi Airport after a record-breaking campaign at the Speed Skating World Championships in China.
The team secured three gold medals and two bronze, making it India’s most successful outing at the global event.
Senior skater Anandkumar Velkumar led the way with a sensational performance.
He became the first Indian to win gold at the World Championships in the senior men’s 1,000 m sprint, clocking 1:24.924. Anandkumar also struck gold in the men’s marathon and added a bronze in the 500 m sprint, finishing with three medals.
According to World Skate, the governing body for roller sports, Anandkumar’s performance is a historic milestone for India in a sport long dominated by European and East Asian nations.
The junior athletes added to India’s tally.
Krish Sharma clinched gold in the junior men’s 1,000 m sprint, while Anish Raj secured bronze in the junior men’s one-lap sprint. With these, India closed the tournament with three golds and two bronze.
The championships were held in China from September 13 to 21.
Tulsi Ram Agarwal, President of the Roller Skating Federation of India, praised the athletes. “It is our immense pleasure that we have been able to bridge the Chinese wall, the forte and domain of Western countries in the field of speed skating by winning three golds and two bronze,” he said.
Sharing his excitement, Anandkumar said that he had recently won two gold medals at the world championship. He felt great and thought the whole team was very happy since it was the first time they had won so many medals in the world championship. He added that the success had motivated him to aim higher in the future.
Junior gold medalist Krish Sharma called his win a “dream come true.” He said, “I had been working really hard for this, so finally good to have achieved it.”
Anish Raj, who won bronze, expressed optimism about the sport’s future in India. He said he felt really good and thought they would be able to take the sport further in the country. He added that the sport would reach a very high level in the coming years and, with the help of the federation, they would be able to win more medals.
The team’s performance has drawn widespread praise and is expected to boost roller sports in India, inspiring greater participation at the grassroots level.