MARGAO: Twelve-year-old skating sensation Rudra Chaitanya Dalal has added another bright feather in his cap with a breath-taking record and almost unbelievable feat of relay-skating non-stop for 51 long hours, covering a distance of 816 km at an event held at Shivgaga Roller Skating Club, Belagavi, Karnataka recently.
The little boy, coached by Satish Shetye now aspires to enter the Guinness Book of World Records and set a record for the world to see.
Roller-skating champion Rudra, resident of Quepem and student at The King’s School, Mugalli, Sao Jose De Areal, set a record for 51 hours of non-stop relay skating at 816 kms, at Shivganga Club.
On Saturday, July 22, Rudra and his coach Satish Shetye were felicitated at Rudra’s hometown in Quepem at the hands of the Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral at a special sports meet at the Quepem Community and Sports Centre.
The twelve-year-old who has collected various amazing records including featuring in the India Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, Best of India Records, Unique Book of Records, Extreme World Records and Indian Young Achiever Book of Records etc. He is also in process and verification for the Limca Book of Records which will soon confirm the registration of Rudra’s name in the prestigious Book.
Rudra considers his coach Shetye as his inspiration to scale new heights in the field.
Shetye remembers finding Rudra at a skating class in Quepem, where he taught a group of thirty skaters the different techniques of mastering the sport, despite the lack of facilities. Initially Shetye coached at an old Portuguese house, before he called Rudra to Margao to hone his skills and practice every morning at 6.30 am.
Rudra is currently studying in Std 6 at The King’s School, Mugalli, where his coaching guide Shetye works as a sports teacher. Shetye also takes up classes under his skater club known as SS Roller Skating Club.
“The relay at Belgaum was a three-day non-stop skating event. Skaters were allotted to different groups, with each group having around 60 skaters, who had to continuously skate day and night during the turn of their group. I skated for the maximum time period of 51 hours,” he beams with pride.
Rudra started his tryst with skating with the support of his parents as a five-year-old and recalls the summer camp where he got introduced to skating and karate at Quepem.
“I liked it so much that I wanted to learn more and spend more time skating. And that’s when my parents allowed Shetye Sir to be my coach,” Rudra recalls.
Rudra also recalls days when he felt like quitting but hung in there despite the falls, pains and bruises unlike others at his age.
The twelve-year-old also attributes his success to his parents, who have supported him all along and travelled with him to Belgaum despite having a sibling who’s just three months old.
Shetye who coaches at The King’s School is training around forty roller-skaters at the moment and started his skating career in 1986.
Coach Shetye admits that Goa has not achieved any national medals in skating yet, but Rudra’s feat was the first time that a Goan had set a record in skating.
He has now trained his eyes on the coveted Guinness World Book of World Records and has intensified the training of Rudra for the event.
“I will check the target for records this year and train and prepare Rudra accordingly,” Shetye announced..
