SHIMLA/JUBBAL: From a nondescript pahari hamlet, a toddle has leapt into a big international sport.
Seventeen-year-old Rudravir Gangta of Kathasu has scripted history. He bagged a bronze medal for India at the Asian Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025—the first edition hosted on home soil.
Rudravir had taken up the sport just two months ago. His grit and determination turned into glory on the rink. Team manager Pradeep Singh called him “a true symbol of hard work and dedication.”
A hero’s welcome awaited him at home. Over 200 villagers cheered him at a felicitation by Nav Yuvak Mandal Kathasu. Chairman Vikram Gangta and former Himachal table tennis captain Jaswant Gangta hailed him as “an inspiration for the youth.”
His parents thanked Amitabh Sharma, President of the Indian Ice Skating Association, along with mentors Roshan Lal, Pradeep Singh, and Ixwaku Jasta.
From the hills of Jubbal to the international podium, Rudravir has become Himachal’s pride and India’s rising hope on ice.
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