Skills displayed at National Ice Skating Championships in Shimla

Shimla: Sports enthusiasts are taking part in the 10th All India National Open Ice Skating Championship here.

Organised by the Shimla Ice Skating Club and the Ice Skating Association of India, the championship saw participants display their skills in figure and speed skating. About 200 skaters from 12 Indian states and foreign participants are taking part in the event, said the President of Ice Skating Association of India, Bhavnesh Banga. "This is the 10th National Ice Skating Championship. This will be going on for two days. We have more than 200 participants and about 12 states are participating, including Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, Punjab. These states are participating and we also have events of figure skating and speed skating," said Banga. The participants have been divided into two categories, junior and senior, from ages 8 to 18. Sliding with elegance and forming breathtaking postures while skating, figure ice skaters mesmerised and startled audiences. A figure skater from Chicago, Anvi Tekriwal, said: "I am a figure skater but I am representing just because it means so much to me to represent my country and this is nationals here so I am feeling really excited and I am going to do well because I have been training for a really long time. I have gone to some international competitions where I have done well, so hopefully this won`t be any different." The championship ends tomorrow.