This community from Mumbai is striving hard to put India on the world map of roller skating

IllustrationUday MohiteDressed in an embellished red leotard and stockings Kemps Corner resident Shriya Rao 10 stretches her hands spins on a leg and showcases a threeminute Fox Trot on Madonnarsquos hit number Material Girl Then eightyearold Aahana Khemani and Ansh Marfatia perform some mean moves they balance on a single leg with arms stretched like a bird squat to resemble a teapot and even do a cartwheel all while wearing anklelength boots attached to roller skates hidden under their stockingsAnsh Marfatia attempts a cartwheel at the 54th National Roller Sports Championships in NoidaTraining for over a year with 33yearold Sweta Dattani Gandhi of Sk8art at Peddar Road the trio was among 340 skaters from across India and 21 from Mumbai who showcased artistic roller skating at the 54th National Roller Sports Championships in Noida that concluded last Sunday Held by the Roller Skating Federation of India RSFI affiliated with the world parent body Feacutedeacuteration Internationale de Roller Sports FIRS the annual championship is the only national level competition that provides a platform for artistic roller skaters from eight years and above who are selected after rounds of district and state championshipsA class in progress at Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul in Vile Parle EDance on wheelsldquoArtistic roller skating is similar to ice skating It basically means dancing on wheels only more technical This is the first time my students qualified for the nationals Unlike speed skating and roller hockey therersquos not much awareness about the sport especially in Mumbairdquo shares Gandhi a national medallist in artistic roller skating who has been practising the sport for the last 15 years and coaching for four yearsAdesh Singh and Sweta Dattani Gandhi PicsPradeep DhivarShe recalls ldquoIn the 1990s when I would compete at the nationals Maharashtra was feared because the team would comprise about 80 skaters and 15 of them would be only from South Mumbai Now there are hardly fiverdquoWhere are the takersGandhi isnrsquot off the mark In a city offering speed skating classes in most neighbourhoods only five coaches are dedicated to artistic roller skating informs 40yearold skating coach Pankaj Manihar The reason lack of students ldquoI taught this form for the past 12 years in Santacruz but the strength of students didnrsquot meet expectations and overhead expenses Now I only focus on roller hockey The two students I had were sent to Adesh Singhrdquo says ManiharA 51yearold Bareillyborn artistic roller skating coach Singh is one of the most wellknown names in the field in Mumbai Back in 1988 she learnt the techniques from Argentine coach Professor Arturo Grecco credited for introducing India to this form of roller sportTraining students for over two decades at Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul in Vile Parle E Singh has produced two international eight national and 23 state medal winners These include twotime national bronze winner Reeva Sakaria and 13yearold Santacruz resident Prisha Thakkar who won a gold medal at the justconcluded nationals and a bronze at The 17th Asian Roller Skating Championships in China last October ldquoI was competing with 23yearolds in the open category I am proud to be the first girl from Maharashtra to win at this competitionrdquo shares ThakkarWhile Singh says that she gets more enquiries now than five years ago she admits ldquoNot many opt for it because it takes time to learn the skills The competitions are few so parents looking for quick results back outrdquoMoney mattersThe sport is also expensive While the coaching fees range from 1500 to 6000 per month with coaches putting in extra hours during competition the equipment ends up burning a hole in parentsrsquo pockets The specialised skates featuring a toe brake and anklelength boots range anywhere from 25000 to 80000 per skate ldquoWe imported them from Italy to be on par with international competitorsrdquo shares Prisharsquos mother Bijal Thakkar And thatrsquos not where it ends The cost of travel and stay during competitions is also borne by the skaters ldquoWe even had to buy a jacket with the statersquos name on it something which the government should have sponsoredrdquo reveals Shriyarsquos mother Gayatri RaoSpace jamThe ideal surface for artistic roller skating is a wooden rink ldquoBut India doesnrsquot have any So we skate on cement flooring or Kota stone surfacesrdquo shares Gandhi who ends up training her students at a building garage since she is unable to find space in the cityldquoI have even written to the Mayor to help us get access to good floors but in vain I canrsquot teach the students in a tiny space because floorwork accounts for 50 percent of judging criteriardquo she addsThe way aheadArtistic roller skating as a fullfledged career option may be far fetched since itrsquos not part of the Olympics or the Asian Games it was included only once in 2010 yet However parents are supportive ldquoIt has improved Shriyarsquos physical strength focus and improvisation skillsrdquo shares RaoSingh is optimistic ldquoWhen I started there was no professional training Hopefully our students will take up coaching and popularise the sport furtherrdquoFor enquiries Call 9820461515 Sweta Gandhi 9867899955 Adesh Singh