Nayana Sri Talluri, a young prodigy of 15 years from Telangana, caused a sensation by winning an impressive triple of gold medals in speed skating at the Khelo India Winter Games. Her last victory registered on the second day of the competition, where she literally illuminated the track with a remarkable performance.
Having already won gold in the less than 17 year old category, Nayana brilliantly dominated the female race on 500m in short track, closing the distance in 1: 01.35 seconds. She surpassed her competitors from Karnataka and Maharashtra, extending her series of victories started at the Kiwg 2023, which had taken place in Gulmarg.
“It’s incredible to accomplish a golden hat -trick since my victory in Gulmarg last year,” said Nayana in an interview. “I feel really good about it.” His success stems from his growing experience, after having won two gold medals at the KIWG 2024, which included categories under 17 and over 17 years old. Nayana also shone during the Asian Short Track 2024 championship in Jakarta, where she reported a gold medal in the 3000m women’s relay.
Nayana added: “Participating in Jakarta was a great experience, but competition in our own country provides a unique feeling. It is nostalgic to come back to the ice here in Ladakh after such a long break.”
In a remarkable entry, the young Guru Harshan H, 14 years old and coming from the Tamil Nadu, finished second in his first race on a large track at the Kiwg. He finished behind Harshith K of Karnataka, who won the second gold medal of the day at Gupuks Pond, followed by Sachin Singh of Haryana in third position.
-Despite his solid performances, Harshan has met Ladakh’s rare air challenges, declaring: “I could not give the best of myself today,” while mentioning the difficulty of skating on the surface of Gupuk, because he is more used to artificial ice.
Harshan is no stranger to competition; He won a bronze medal in the less than 10 years category during an open event organized by the Indian ice skating association in 2019 and participated in the short track speed skating event during the third KHELO India Winter Games in Gulmarg in 2023.
At the same time, the ice hockey tournament turns out to be a precious learning experience for teams like Haryana, Maharashtra, Chandigarh and Rajasthan. The best teams, such as the army, the ITBP and Ladakh, continue to excel in the competition.
