Nagpur: Noted inline skater of Nagpur Kasturi Dinesh Tamhankar has qualified for World Speed Skating Championship to be held at Columbia, South America in September 2021. Roller Skating Federation of India, affiliated to Indian Olympic Association, held the selection trials for picking skaters at Mohali, Chandigarh from April 11-14, 2021. Tamhankar is the only senior women skater who got selected from Maharashtra. It has been eight long years since a Nagpurian was selected for an international event in inline skating. Before Kasturi Tamhankar, in 2013, Anushree Chawhan was selected for junior girls inline skating category. Earlier, Tamhankar won one gold, one silver and a bronze medal in Roller Skating Federation of India’s 58th National Skating Competition held at Mohali from April 5-10. Varsha Puranik of Karnataka has been a force to reckon with in the senior women 15km road elimination inline skating.
On the past three occasions, she had won gold in that event. Tamhankar dethroned Puranik in this year’s national event and is proud owner of gold medal. Kasturi Tamhankar has represented Maharashtra for 16 times in nationals winning four gold, eight silver and six bronze medals in the competitions. She is practising since past 14 years on NIT Skating Rink, Daga-layout, and Nagpur. Tamhankar, a student of City Premier College, gives the credit of her success to her coach, an international skater Yashraj Anandpawar, her mentor Shreerang Thergaonkar, Avis Fitness Club, Avinash Woghole, team India coach Pravin Deshpande’ Nagpur District Roller Skating Association Secretary Upendra Varma and her parents and family.
