India wins 7 medals at World Skate Games 2026 in Asuncion, Paraguay
Synopsis
India returned from the World Skate Games 2026 in Paraguay with 7 medals — including a gold for Kerala's Anirudhan Vinod won by a mere 0.24 seconds over his Indian teammate from Puducherry. The haul, against 10,000 athletes from 90 countries, shows India's skating programme is quietly punching above its weight on the global stage.
Key Takeaways
India won 7 medals — 2 gold , 3 silver , 2 bronze — at the World Skate Games 2026 in Asuncion, Paraguay .
Anirudhan Vinod (Kerala) won gold in the Junior Men's Road 1-Lap ; Lohnath Arun Prasath (Puducherry) won silver in the same event, separated by just 0.24 seconds .
Anandkumar Velkumar won gold in the 42-kilometre road race and silver in the 1,000-metre track race .
The tournament featured nearly 10,000 athletes from 90 countries and began on 2 October 2026 .
RSFI president Tulsi Ram Aggarwal hailed the performance at a celebration ceremony in New Delhi on 22 October 2026 .
Roller Skating Federation of India (RSFI) president Tulsi Ram Aggarwal on Thursday, 22 October 2026, celebrated India's seven-medal haul at the World Skate Games 2026 held in Asuncion, Paraguay, calling it a landmark achievement for the country's skating contingent. The medal tally comprised two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.
Key Performances
Anirudhan Vinod from Kerala claimed gold in the Junior Men's Road 1-Lap event, edging out competitors in an exceptionally close finish. In the same race, Lohnath Arun Prasath from Puducherry won silver — with the gap between the two Indian podium finishers a razor-thin 0.24 seconds (240 milliseconds), underscoring the intensity of the competition.
Anandkumar Velkumar delivered a double podium showing, winning gold in the 42-kilometre road race and silver in the 1,000-metre track race. Their performances were central to India's overall medal count at the tournament.
Scale of the Tournament
The World Skate Games 2026 commenced on 2 October and drew nearly 10,000 athletes from 90 countries, including powerhouses such as Italy, Colombia, Spain, France, the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Venezuela, among others. Aggarwal acknowledged the logistical challenge of fielding a team in Paraguay, a distant and demanding destination, but said the federation never considered pulling back.
"Paraguay is a far and hard place to be at. It is hard to take the skaters there, but we never hesitated and took the team to the tournament," Aggarwal said at the celebration ceremony in New Delhi.
Colombia's Dominance and India's Progress
Aggarwal drew a pointed comparison between Colombia's relationship with skating and India's with cricket. "Just as cricket is considered almost like a religion in our country, skating holds that same status in Colombia, which is why Colombia is unbeatable in speed skating," he said. Despite competing against such deeply entrenched skating cultures, India managed multiple podium finishes — a signal, according to the RSFI president, of the country's growing competitive depth.
Exposure and Experience Gained
Beyond the medals, Aggarwal highlighted the broader developmental value of the campaign. "Our children have gained a lot of experience and exposure from there by meeting different people," he noted, suggesting that the world-stage exposure would benefit the athletes' long-term development. The RSFI is expected to use this performance as a springboard for future international campaigns, with skaters from smaller regions like Puducherry now firmly on the national radar.
Point of View
10,000-athlete field is not a minor footnote — yet Indian skating rarely receives the mainstream coverage that would make these names household. The Anirudhan Vinod story is particularly striking: a Kerala skater winning gold by 0.24 seconds over his own compatriot from Puducherry in the same race is the kind of internal competitive depth that signals a programme maturing beyond individual talent. The RSFI's willingness to absorb the logistical cost of travelling to Paraguay also deserves credit — federations of smaller sports in India often skip distant tournaments. The Colombia comparison Aggarwal makes is apt and should serve as a long-term benchmark, not just a talking point.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medals did India win at the World Skate Games 2026?
India won a total of 7 medals at the World Skate Games 2026 in Asuncion, Paraguay — 2 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. The games drew nearly 10,000 athletes from 90 countries.
Who won gold for India at the World Skate Games 2026?
Anirudhan Vinod from Kerala won gold in the Junior Men's Road 1-Lap event, and Anandkumar Velkumar won gold in the 42-kilometre road race. Both were standout performers for the Indian contingent.
What was the margin between the Indian gold and silver medalists in the Road 1-Lap event?
The margin between Anirudhan Vinod (gold) and Lohnath Arun Prasath (silver) in the Junior Men's Road 1-Lap event was just 0.24 seconds (240 milliseconds), making it one of the closest finishes of the tournament.
Who is Lohnath Arun Prasath and where is he from?
Lohnath Arun Prasath is an Indian roller skater from Puducherry who won a silver medal in the Junior Men's Road 1-Lap at the World Skate Games 2026. His podium finish alongside Anirudhan Vinod gave India a gold-silver sweep in that event.
What did RSFI president Tulsi Ram Aggarwal say about India's performance?
Aggarwal praised the team at a celebration ceremony in New Delhi, noting the logistical difficulty of travelling to Paraguay and commending the athletes for gaining experience on a global stage. He also highlighted Colombia's dominance in speed skating as a benchmark India should aim to challenge.
