BHUBANESWAR: The first ever roller skating championship in the State turned out to be a huge success with over 75 young participants from 11 districts displaying their skills during the event.
Skaters in the age group of four to 16 took part in the Odisha State Open Roller Skating Championship-2015 at Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday.
Competitions were held in Speed Skating and Artistic Skating competitions. Skaters from Khurda district bagged 24 medals followed by Ganjam with 11 and Sambalpur district with eight.
Other participating districts were Angul, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Kalahandi and Nayagarh.
The event was organised by Bhubaneswar Roller Skating Association (BRSA) and Odisha Skating Academy (OSA).
In August, a roller skating camp was organised in the Capital to groom young skaters and encourage them to participate in the championship.
Former national champion and referee, Roller Skating Federation of India, Gangadhar imparted training to the aspiring skaters.
The State still lacks infrastructure and proper coaching for skating enthusiasts. Taking a cue from the encouraging response for the championship, training facilities in skating in the State should be improved, said a participant.
Special Secretary, Home Department, Lalit Das and Mayor AN Jena presented the awards to winners.