Anand Velkumar becomes first Indian to win a medal in Inline Speed Skating World Championships

Speedily making a mark in new territories, India's latest feather of achievement comes from the Inline World Speed Skating Championships where youngster Anand Kumar Velkumar showcased an outstanding form and went on to win a silver medal - the very first one won by an Indian at an Inline Speed Skating World Championship. Taking part in the Junior 15km Elimination Final, in the Colombian city of Ibagué, Anand Velkumar clocked a timing of 24.14.845 seconds to take home the coveted silver medal.

Marking it as a historic achievement for India, the young Anand Velkumar, who took part in the inline speed skating competition, has become the first one to breach a new territory and put India on the global map in Inline Speed Skating. While the event was mostly dominated by the Colombian and Portuguese skaters, Miguel Fonseca and Marco Lira, respectively, Anand Velkumar also stood out with his skills on the rollerskates.

Reflecting on the surreal victory, Velkumar gushed, "I can't express what I feel, (it) is the first medal for India. It was difficult, especially in the rain, there was a lot of shoving and everyone was slipping," the Tamil Nadu lad mentioned. "I was just thinking; we are going to cross the finish line, don't fall, because it was really difficult in the rain," the youngster relayed in a statement from the Colombian Skating Federation.

With this win, India has made its presence felt in the world of Inline Speed Skating as it is no mean task to win a silver medal at this stage of the World Championships. The foray of Indians into roller sports and thereby going on to create history is indeed indicative of a bright future ahead.