VIJAYAWADA: It was curiosity about skating that first encouraged Kyvalya Kopparapu to pick up the roller blades and give the sport a shot. Soon enough curiosity turned into passion, helping him make a mark on the international stage and bagging two gold medals at the Asian Roller-Skating Championship.
This 14-year-old boy from Vijayawada began his journey in artistic roller skating at a tender age of 4. His father, Sashi Kumar, is an industrialist, while his mother, Lalitha Sri Vidya, gave up her job as a lecturer to support her son.
Kyvalya’s journey to the Asian Roller-Skating Championship was not easy. The biggest challenge was the lack of proper skating rinks in Vijayawada. After three years of training in Vijayawada, Kyvalya was mentored by Panchada Satyanarayana in Visakhpatnam.
“Team India’s coach for artistic skating and an RSFI-qualified (Roller Skating Federation of India) referee, Satyanarayana has played a pivotal role in shaping Kyvalya’s career,” Sashi Kumar remarked.
Kyvalya’s medal haul began in 2014. He was just six years old when he participated in the Krishna district roller skating tournament and secured three medals - one gold and two silver. He went on to win numerous district, state, and national tournaments, before grabbing two gold medals at the Asian Roller-Skating Championship in China. So far, he has won 85 medals.
In the individual in-line skating event, Kyvalya showcased his prowess by defeating a skilled skater from Taiwan. In the first event, he secured second place with a mere 0.4-point difference, but surged ahead in the second event, clinching gold with a remarkable 4-point lead over his opponent.
Kyvalya also participated in the pair skating category with Chaitanya Deepika from Vijayawada. The duo scored 23.5 points, while their opponents - Dinesh and Kshetra from Visakhapatnam - secured 23.13 points. With this, Kyvalya claimed two gold medals in the Asian Roller-Skating Championship. Kyvalya’s father highlighted the challenges faced by skaters in Vijayawada, emphasising the lack of proper rink facilities for artistic skaters.
He has also excelled academically. He has bagged the General Proficiency Award at his school - NSM Public School - for the last three years. He was also awarded with the Bala Pratibha Puraskar Award in 2017 from X-Ray, a Vijayawada-based literary organisation.