India is still some way from becoming a ‘sporting nation’. While the country continues to be the financial hub for sports such as cricket. Other sports have struggled to establish a place. Skating is one such sport, and no one understands it better than Gujarat’s Anoli Shah. She is one of India’s most distinguished athletes. With around 400 national and international medals to her name. Shah’s problems, however, have been immense.
Anoli has had a long journey, from dealing with personal self-doubt to making a life from the sport. Skating is no exception to India’s vast untapped potential in sports. Although niche sports have gained center stage in recent years due to worldwide exposure and the rise of social media, we are still a long way from the coordinated, statewide effort that is required. The effort should not just focus on training hard.
But also on creating an ecosystem that nourishes brilliance from the ground up. This entails developing high-quality infrastructure, hiring skilled coaches, and encouraging a mindset shift in which novel kinds of sports are viewed as legitimate and recognised career prospects for players. With small adjustments in legislation, funding, or awareness, India has the potential to compete with the world’s finest skating nations.
Anoli Shah’s Achievements Go Unnoticed
Her previous tournaments include the 15th Asian Roller Sports Championship 2012 (Hefei, China), the World Championship 2012 (Rome, Italy), the World Championship 2013 (Oostende, Belgium), and the Flanders Grand Prix Open World Championship 2013. She recently won three gold medals and one silver at the State Roller Skating Championship in 2019. The skater won a bronze medal representing the country at the 14th Asian Roller Sports Championship in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in the year 2010.
She has won 166 gold medals, 123 silver medals, and 88 bronze medals in speed skating at the international, national, state, and district levels. She also won 3 Golds and a Silver at the 39th GUJARAT STATE ROLLER SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP 2019 and 3 Bronze medals at the National Championship 2019.
