Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 28: In a remarkable display of talent and dedication, 11-year-old Vardaan Laddha from Pune secured two silver medals for India at the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025. Vardaan’s impressive performance came in the highly competitive 333m and 500m events.
This is a historic moment for India, as the country hosted this prestigious international winter sports competition for the very first time. The event, which ran from August 20 to 23, brought together over 240 skaters and officials from more than 11 Asian nations. It was held at the newly opened Himadri Ice Skating Rink in Dehradun, India’s only Olympic-sized ice rink, making it the biggest winter sports event ever hosted by the nation.
The successful hosting of this trophy was made possible through the leadership and vision of Mr. Amitabh Sharma, President of the Ice Skating Association of India (ISAI), with the support of officials and dignitaries from the Asian Skating Union (ASU) and the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport’s main governing bodies. The Asian Open Trophy 2025 was graced by the Honourable Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Vardaan’s recent wins add to an already impressive year. In June, he clinched four gold medals at both the Maharashtra State Championship and the 20th National Short Track Speed Skating Championship, also held in Dehradun. These national events, organized by the ISAI, were attended by Uttarakhand’s Sports Minister, Smt. Rekha Arya.
His achievements build on a consistent record of excellence, including six gold medals at the Rural Games of India (Feb 2024), a gold medal at the RSFI Mini State Championship (Mar 2024), and a silver medal at the 19th National Short Track Speed Skating Championship (2024).
To prepare for international competition, Vardaan recently trained in South Korea, a global powerhouse for short-track speed skating. His training has been an incredible journey of discipline, with his 4 AM daily practice routine beginning when he was just seven and a half years old.
Vardaan credits his success to his strong faith in God, his parents, Pranita and Saurabh Laddha, his coaches at Youngster’s Skating Club, Ice Skating Association of Maharashtra, along with Coach Joe and Coach Kim from Korea, who were officially appointed as India’s coaches for the Asian Open Trophy 2025.
Says the proud father, Saurabh, “My wife Pranita has undoubtedly been Vardaan’s constant companion, motivator, and hustler for his success.”
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Divya Agarwal
