Skating away to glory

Roller skater Anup Kumar Yama made the city proud by clinching two gold and three silver in the recently concluded, 16th Asian Roller Skating Championship -2014. This prodigious talent is travelling to Spain to make his mark in the World Championship and hopes to win more laurels

He is presently India’s best known roller skater and that is just about the best news for Hyderabad as he belongs here.

For an exceptional achiever, who has not returned empty-handed from any of the international championships that he has participated, Anup Kumar Yama added another couple of feathers to the already outsized cap while having a haul of five medals, including two gold and three silver, in the 16th Asian Roller Skating Championship-2014 in the Chinese province of Haining that concluded on Thursday.

On a brief stopover in the city, Anup was euphoric in his reaction on Saturday.

He says the competition was way above his expectations as the quality of the contenders was of “exorbitantly high” standards and “that is what makes my effort that much more satisfying for me and my elders.”

Stating that it was always an honour to win laurels for the country, Anup, who took to the sport as a gifted tiny-tot, opines that India is gradually establishing itself in the sport, which symbolically blends elegance and artistry.

“The level of competition was huge. Skaters from Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Iran gave a tough competition. The performances were awe-inspiring and came with perfect jumps, excellent spins and interesting choreographs. I take pride in participating in such high standards of competition and winning medals,” says Anup, who is all set to embark on a bigger adventure.

The country’s first gold medal winner in the coveted World Artistic Roller Skating Championships, which he won after stunning a dazzling field of champions in Taipei last November, Anup is now focussed on the 59th edition, which is being hosted at Reus in Spain.

“I am all geared up to retain the world champion title, despite the avalanche of outstanding talent from all over the globe. I have prepared well and the Asian showing comes as the perfect morale-booster,” points out the confident-looking skater, who has been shouldering the nation’s trust with aplomb.