How Mumbai's roller-skating community is gaining momentum like never before

Indiarsquos rollerskating teams recently claimed two bronze medals in the 3000m team relay events men and women at the 19th Asian Games in Guangzhou and they are now rolling into the spotlight While these athletes establish their presence through accomplishments at an international level a tightknit rollerskating community here in Mumbai is gaining momentum like never before What was once considered a recreational activity in the city is now rapidly growing to become the preferred competitive track sport among the youth The question now arises Is this newfound attention just a phase Could the buzz around the sport pave the way for opportunities for aspiring young athletes And most importantly has the news sparked a renewed interest in the rollerskating communitySkating instructor Ajay Shivlani briefs his students in between sessionsldquoI have had the privilege of witnessing the dedication and relentless efforts of some of Indiarsquos speed skaters firsthand These athletes have been on a journey of unwavering commitment for years Winning on such a prestigious international stage is not just a medal but a catalyst for the sport of skatingrdquo asserts skating instructor Ajay Shivlani from the sidelines of the skating track at the Somaiya Sports Academy in Sion Shivlani is an international skating examiner and director at The Skating Academy TSA which he founded in 2015 to provide worldclass training to young skaters at the right age Conducting training sessions across Bandra Khar and this venue the academy is flocked by enthusiasts and medalaspirants alike Shivlani provides training to individuals ranging from threeyearold kids to 63yearold seniors This was evident when this writer watched from the sidelines as fiveyearold skaters zoomed past in continuous lapsSkaters gather for a posttraining rendezvous PicsAshish RajeStart youngNeelotpal Roy an entrepreneur who built Radical Skating a skating academy catering to suburbanites believes that five is the right age to begin pursuing the sport ldquoIt is far easier to learn the skill of balancing while maintaining speed Once you learn the ropes at such a young age itrsquos smoother to learn advanced skills without risking injuries by the time yoursquore in your teensrdquo But donrsquot lose hope if yoursquore no longer in your sweet teens the unanimous view in the community is that while competitive training requires methodical training from a young age there is no age restriction to joining the community if you just want to try your hand and feet at the sport ldquoAbsolutely anyone can learn to skate and itrsquos a lowrisk outdoor activity With the right trainer you shouldnrsquot have problems skating even at the age of 50rdquo assures ShivlaniNeelotpal RoyPursuing the sport however hasnrsquot been an easy journey for the cityrsquos enthusiasts Shivlani recalls ldquoGrowing up in Mumbai rollerskating was considered nothing more than a hobby It was only in the late 1990s that it started taking the form and shape we see it in todayrdquo According to Shivlani that was still only a halfdone job ldquoDedicated spaces for rollerskating were unheard of We were forced to skate on the streets which would often lead to runins with the police and other authoritiesrdquo Even today Mumbai hosts only two professional skating tracks for the rapidly growing community one at the Somaiya Sports Academy and another in Virar Still not enough thinks Roy who highlights that itrsquos a challenge to train the growing number of roller skaters with just two tracks in the region ldquoWe can train students in smaller areas like halls and repurposed tennis courts but real speed training comes from practising on real skating tracksrdquoArjun Nichani 32 debuted at the National RollerSkating Championship in 2021 in the masterrsquos men category and bagged a silver the following year becoming the first Mumbaikar to achieve this feat An architect by profession Nichani informed us that the lack of tracks could be because of Mumbairsquos infamous space crunch He explains ldquoMumbai is a goldmine for real estate and people donrsquot want to lend spaces for activities such as ours Some gated communities build skate parks but theyrsquore exclusively for their residentsrdquoAjay ShivlaniShivlani believes therersquos much more at play ldquoMumbai is an expensive city and many builders donrsquot consider building a facility solely for rollerskating the best investmentrdquo He is hopeful that concerned authorities wonrsquot look at the prospect as an investment but as a step towards a better equipped city that will breed new champions in the futureSkating forwardArjun Nichani and Khushi ShahOn the brighter side Mumbai is already home to a number of promising prospects Mishti Vora 14 who has already made a mark for herself in the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations CISCE Nationals in 2022 holds the promise of an even greater success in the future according to Shivlani ldquoWhen the news of the medals came in I knew I wanted to be there one day The athletes who achieved the feat are my role modelsrdquo added an enthusiastic Mishti Khushi Shah 20 who ranked 20th in the world at the 2021 World Championships held in Colombia told us that shersquos hopeful that more skating tracks will be built in Mumbai soon and that she plans to continue pursuing the sport and reach new highs Nichani Vora and Shah are all registered with the Somaiya Sports Academy where Shivlani trains budding talents A hopeful but cautiously pragmatic Shivlani says ldquoWinning might be the spark but itrsquos the consistent effort and investment that will fuel this surge into a thrilling future for MumbairdquoMedals and gloryArnav Tripathy 17 is the reigning junior gold medallist and is ranked as the National No 1 in the 200 metres Time Trial and Team Relay mdash the same event where India secured two bronze medals at the recent Asiad Currently he is intensively preparing for the Senior National Championships and the upcoming World Championships ldquoThe recent achievements have ignited my ambition and determination to represent India and contribute to winning medals and bring pride to my countryrdquo