"Message from sister most special" - Chennai lad Anandkumar Velkumar reflects on historic speed skating world championship title [Exclusive]

Having brought up the rear for the initial laps, Anandkumar Velkumar swerved ahead of the pack in the final stretch of the 1000m speed skating final event at the world championships in the Chinese coastal town of Beidaihe. Pitted against celebrated skaters like Duccio Marsili of Italy and Julio Mirena Ortiz of Paraguay, the Chennai lad created history by winning India's first-ever world championship gold medal.

The win was no flash in the pan, though. Anandkumar Velkumar had won the bronze in the 500m inline sprint a day earlier and was confident of finishing on the podium in his preferred event, the 1000m inline sprint.

During an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Anandkumar Velkumar shed light on what it takes to excel at the highest level in a sport where India is starting to make a big impact on the world stage. Humble as ever, the 22-year-old disclosed that a congratulatory message from his sister, who inspired him to take up skating, delighted him the most, as did a tweet from the Indian Prime Minister himself.

"I would say a note from my sister, and also the tweet from the Prime Minister, were most special," said Anandkumar, who is all set to take part in the 15km elimination race and the 40km marathon skating event in Beidaihe.

"Just the day before the 1000m final, I had won bronze in the 500m. The 500m bronze gave me confidence, considering that the 1000m was my main event. I knew I was one of the best skaters, and I would say I hoped to finish on the podium, but I can't say that I expected to win gold. Yeah, but I'm lucky that I was able to win gold," he disclosed.

Anandkumar, whose elder sister Subi Suvetha Velkumar is also an Indian skater, did not have the best of starts in the final, but caught up in style to get past the finishing line. A jubilant two-handed chest tap while on the victory lap summed up the emotions of the newly crowned world champion.

"I didn't have a really good start in the race so my position was at the end of the pack in the first few laps. I wouldn't say that was my strategy. I think it was just part of how the race went. My goal was to try to get to the front and in the 1000m race, usually in the last two laps, you just go all out," Anandkumar Velkumar explained.

China has been a happy hunting ground for Anandkumar, who stood on the podium at the Hangzhou Asian Games for the 3000m team relay. He also won bronze in the 1000m sprint track event at the World Games in Chengdu earlier this year.

Anandkumar Velkumar is in awe of the facilities in China, while also stressing that the infrastructure back home is more than adequate to train in. Funding, however, remains a concern for most Indian skaters, considering that the sport is not an Olympic discipline.

"The skating venues in China are really amazing. The track that we raced in at the World Games was on the third floor, and that was an indoor track. I really enjoyed racing in them," he observed.

"There are at least 3-4 tracks in and around Chennai. But considering that the sport is a non-Olympic sport, there isn't as much funding when you compare it to other sports. So when I first entered the team in 2018, I had to fund myself when I competed abroad. Most of the skaters who are part of the Indian team have been funding themselves when they compete abroad," Anandkumar stated.

Anandkumar Velkumar is currently supported by the Mission International Medals Scheme, a venture undertaken by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.

"Skating is something that kids can enjoy and pursue" - Anandkumar Velkumar

Anandkumar Velkumar is also pursuing an engineering degree in Chennai - Source: AIR on X

Being a proud trendsetter for the sport in India, Anandkumar encourages kids in the country to take up skating, emphasising that despite the effort it requires, the experience could be enjoyable as well.

"Skating is something that you need to get used to and develop the skills as well. So, it would definitely take at least a few months to be good at it. Skating is also something that the kids can really enjoy. If they have the passion for it, they can definitely pursue the sport for a long time," he opined.

Attending back-to-back international events has meant that Anandkumar hasn't attended classes for the last two months. The final-year engineering student thanked his college for being "lenient", stressing that he can manage both skating and pursuing his degree.

"Right now, I'm in my final year. And since I had three back-to-back competitions, I haven't been to college in two months. So, I'll start attending classes only once I go back now. But my college (College of Engineering, Guindy) supports me a lot and they mark me 'on duty'. And they're a little bit lenient with me," he added.

With Krish Sharma having won gold in the junior 1000m sprint, it's been a double delight for India in the World Championships. Anandkumar Velkumar reckons that his compatriots will add to India's medal haul in the near future.

"Krish was also a gold medallist in the Asian Championships. It's really good to see that it's not just one performance, but India as a whole is developing in skating. So I would say we will win a lot more medals in the future," he predicted.

"We have the World Championships again next year. And after that, maybe in 2027, the Asian Championships might be held in India. So hopefully if that happens, that's something that I'm looking forward to," Anandkumar declared.

Defending his World Championship title and possibly getting to display his prowess in front of home fans come 2027 are reasons enough for Anandkumar Velkumar to keep pushing the limits in this gruelling yet spectacular sport.