KOCHI: Seventeen-year-old Gayathri Leemon of Iringole, near Perumbavoor, is tightening her boots to participate in the World Skate Games in Italy this September. She will be following the footsteps of her trainer, K S Siyad, the first Malayali to have represented the country in a world skating championship, in 2009.
She is competing in the under-19 category of the downhill roller skating segment, considered a mixture of adventure and danger. Gayathri is the youngest of four girls selected from Kerala for the world championship scheduled to be held from September 6 to 22.
In a sport that demands a large terrain and a matching track for training, alongside high expenses, the teenager has the strong backing of her family and her trainer.
“Gayathri has been training under me for the last 10 years. Among the 11 varieties of skating events, she is participating in the risky downhill category,” said Siyad, who is also the trainer of the state skating team and a former assistant trainer of the national team.
In the downhill event, the skater hits speeds of up to 60 metres per hour while sliding down a track set in a steep hill or mountain, he says.
“We are now practising on the congested Thattekkad-Kuttampuzha road, towards Malayattoor. The parents of the athletes are helping us regulate the traffic to avoid accidents,” said Siyad, who is constructing a practice track by mortgaging his house for the benefit of his wards.
Also the secretary of the Perumbavoor-based Roll Force One Roller Sports Club, which provides the facilities for skating, Siyad said the government and the authorities concerned have been ignoring the skaters and their needs.
Gayathri’s father, Leemon Ashokan, said she had received an opportunity to attend the World Skate Games in the previous year too.“But she had to skip the world championship as she was not fully fit. The financial aspect too is a huge factor,” he said.
At the same time, he said they were delighted with the outcome of the efforts of the past 10 years. “We are confident that Gayathri will come up with her best performance in the world meet,” Leemon said.
The downhill roller skating event needs ankle boots, with a set of wheels priced at Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. Regular training means that the wheels wear out in a month, Leemon points out. Besides, additional expenses for the service of bearings and maintenance of the specialised shoes add up to around Rs 53,000 annually, Leemon said. “Considering the risk element, we can’t compromise on the expenses for vests, helmets and other accessories either,” he said.
He said while other state governments provide good financial support to national champions, the Kerala government – other than giving enticing promises and assurances – does not treat medal winners in the same fashion.The sports council had conducted a camp ahead of the national championship. The train fare and the room rent for the participants (Rs 500) too were met by the organisers, he added.
Gayathri is a Plus II student of St Peter’s School, Kolenchery.