Leh, Jan 24 (NationPress) The introduction of figure skating at the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 in Ladakh was more than a mere addition of a new sport; it symbolized the long-awaited launch of a national platform. At the center of this transformative moment was Abhijith Amal Raj from Kerala, who clinched gold in the men's advanced figure skating category, marking a pivotal personal achievement.

Abhijith's participation in Ladakh transcended the significance of a single event. He ranks among India's premier artistic figure skaters, having been a world champion in artistic roller skating, securing gold at the 2019 World Roller Skating Championship and earning medals at the Asian Roller Skating Championships in both 2023 and 2025, as well as at the World Skate Oceania and Pacific Cup in 2023. However, his involvement in the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 marked a new chapter: a return to ice figure skating and a chance to compete on a notable national platform at home.

His journey began early; he was skating before he could articulate words and started formal lessons at just three years old. Yet, in coastal Kerala, ice skating was a rarity and hard to come by. The substantial costs associated with equipment, coaching, and facilities turned his potential into a quest filled with perseverance and financial strain. His father devoted all available resources to support his training.

By the age of nine, Abhijith was under the guidance of renowned Arjuna awardee Anup Kumar Yama and later received training from Luca d’Alisera, an 11-time Artistic Roller Skating World Champion and international coach. This training involved traveling to Italy and came at a steep price of 100 Euros per hour, for four hours a day, culminating in lakhs for just one month. To finance this, his family sold property and moved into rented accommodation. While government assistance came later, the foundation of Abhijith's career was laid on years of financial hardship and personal sacrifice.

Prior to becoming a world champion in artistic roller skating, Abhijith had already built a robust background in ice figure skating. In 2014, he earned gold at the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in Taiwan, the Dubai Golden Cup, and the Malaysian Open National Championship, in addition to securing national titles in 2013 and 2014. He also won another international gold medal in Malaysia in 2016 before shifting his primary focus to roller skating, where he ultimately became a world champion. His gold medal in figure skating at the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 signifies his return to ice skating after nearly a decade.

Abhijith's narrative underscores the challenges that niche sports like figure skating face in India. Historically, significant progress in sports such as figure skating has relied on international training, access to rinks, coaching, and competitions—resources that many families cannot afford. Now, at just 24, Abhijith is committed to changing that landscape.

Together with his figure skating partner, Vacasya Lakshmi Narayanan, a gold medalist (Artistic Partner) at the 2025 Asian Roller Skating Championship, he co-founded Adler Vision. This academy, located in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, has been nurturing future athletes across India and has welcomed over 100 students within its two years of operation.

They have brought in international coaches like Luca d’Alisera and Rachele Campagnol from Italy, allowing young skaters to gain exposure without leaving the country. The program starts with roller skating, with the ultimate aim of transitioning athletes to figure skating, both on roller skates and ice. This set-up prepares them for national platforms like Khelo India.

Abhijith mentions that at the academy, “we start with roller skating, and depending on a skater’s interest and performance, they can either transition into ice skating or continue to excel in roller skating.”

“Our skaters have already taken part in numerous national and state-level roller skating competitions, and with platforms like Khelo India, we aim to send select skaters to forthcoming ice skating championships,” Abhijith stated, who was recruited by the Income Tax Department of Maharashtra under the sports quota in 2024.

For Abhijith, Khelo India extends beyond merely winning medals. He regards it as a “prestigious championship” and emphasizes that his primary mission in Ladakh is to motivate athletes from his academy and highlight the significance of national platforms. With figure skating being introduced for the first time, the 6th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games showcased 23 skaters from eight states, with Haryana leading with eight athletes, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand, each contributing four. This marks a promising beginning for winter sports in a predominantly tropical nation like India.