Rolling to glory: 14-year-old bags gold medals at global championship | Fusion - WeRIndia

In the enchanting world of roller skating, curiosity transformed into a remarkable journey of passion for 14-year-old Kyvalya Kopparapu from Vijayawada.

Picking up roller blades at the tender age of 4, Kyvalya’s love for the sport propelled him to international acclaim, securing two gold medals at the Asian Roller-Skating Championship.

Kyvalya’s early strides in artistic roller skating faced a significant hurdle – the absence of proper skating rinks in Vijayawada.

Despite this, his dedication led him to a triumphant path. After three years of training locally, mentorship under Panchada Satyanarayana in Visakhapatnam became a pivotal turning point in Kyvalya’s career.

His medal journey began in 2014, and since then, he has clinched an impressive total of 85 medals in various tournaments. These include district, state, and national tournaments.

The crowning achievement, however, unfolded at the Asian Roller-Skating Championship in China.

In the individual in-line skating event, Kyvalya showcased his prowess by outshining a skilled competitor from Taiwan.

His journey in the championship unfolded with a silver in the first event, a mere 0.4-point difference separating him from the top spot.

Undeterred, Kyvalya surged ahead in the second event, securing gold with a remarkable 4-point lead over his opponent.

Adding to his triumph, Kyvalya also participated in the pair skating category alongside Chaitanya Deepika from Vijayawada.

Their stellar performance earned them 23.5 points, surpassing their counterparts from Visakhapatnam, who secured 23.13 points.

With this outstanding feat, Kyvalya proudly claimed two gold medals at the championship.

Beyond the rink, Kyvalya’s achievements extend to academic excellence, earning him the General Proficiency Award at NSM Public School for three consecutive years.

Recognizing his multifaceted talents, he was also honoured with the Bala Pratibha Puraskar Award in 2017 by X-Ray, a Vijayawada-based literary organization.

Despite the challenges faced by skaters in Vijayawada, Kyvalya’s success serves as an inspiration, emphasizing the need for enhanced facilities for artistic skaters to flourish in their chosen sport.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1623160