Leh | January 24 ,2026 | SKY LINK TIMES
KIWG 2026:
The debut of figure skating at the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026 in Ladakh marked a historic moment for Indian winter sports, and at its centre stood Abhijith Amal Raj of Kerala, who clinched the gold medal in the men’s advanced category, completing a remarkable return to ice skating after nearly a decade.
More than a podium finish, Abhijith’s performance symbolised the arrival of figure skating on a national platform in a country where access to ice has long been a challenge.
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A Gold That Marked a Homecoming
For Abhijith, the gold medal at KIWG 2026 was not just a victory—it was a return. One of India’s most accomplished artistic skaters, Abhijith is a world champion in artistic roller skating, having won gold at the 2019 World Roller Skating Championship. His resume also includes medals at the Asian Roller Skating Championships in 2023 and 2025, and the World Skate Oceania and Pacific Cup in 2023.
However, competing in Ladakh represented his comeback to ice figure skating after nearly a decade, this time on a prestigious national stage in his own country.
A Journey Forged Through Sacrifice
Abhijith’s skating journey began almost as soon as he could walk. He started formal training at the age of three, an extraordinary feat given that ice skating infrastructure is nearly non-existent in coastal Kerala. High costs related to equipment, coaching, and travel posed constant challenges.
His father invested every available resource to support his dream. By the age of nine, Abhijith was training under Arjuna awardee Anup Kumar Yama, followed by advanced coaching from Italian legend Luca d’Alisera, an 11-time artistic roller skating world champion. Training abroad came at a staggering cost—about 100 Euros per hour for four hours daily—forcing the family to sell property and shift to rented accommodation. Government support arrived later, but the foundation of his career was built on years of hardship and perseverance.
A Champion Before the Shift
Before dominating roller skating, Abhijith had already excelled in ice figure skating. He won gold at the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in Taiwan, the Dubai Golden Cup, and the Malaysian Open National Championship in 2014, along with national titles in 2013 and 2014. Another international gold followed in Malaysia in 2016 before he shifted focus to roller skating, where he eventually became a world champion.
His KIWG 2026 gold now signals a full-circle moment in his career.
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Building the Future of Indian Skating
At just 24, Abhijith is already focused on nurturing the next generation. Along with his skating partner Vacasya Lakshmi Narayanan, a gold medalist at the 2025 Asian Roller Skating Championship, he co-founded Adler Vision, an academy based in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In just two years, it has trained over 100 students across India.
By inviting international coaches to India and offering a structured pathway from roller to ice skating, the academy aims to reduce the financial and logistical barriers that once defined Abhijith’s own journey.
More Than a Medal
For Abhijith, Khelo India is about inspiration as much as achievement. Calling it a “prestigious championship,” he sees his success as proof of the importance of national platforms. With figure skating debuting at KIWG 2026, the sixth edition featured 23 skaters from eight states—an encouraging sign for winter sports in a tropical nation like India.
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