Chengdu – Anandkumar Velkumar etched his name in history on Friday by securing India’s first-ever medal in roller skating at the World Games. The 22-year-old claimed bronze in the men’s 1000m sprint inline speed skating track event in Chengdu.
Velkumar clocked 1:22.482 seconds, edging past Switzerland’s Livio Wenger by just 0.1 seconds to clinch the final podium spot. Spain’s Jhoan Sebastian Guzman Bitar won gold with a time of 1:22.288s, while Colombia’s Jhon Edwar Tascon Holguin was relegated to silver despite finishing faster at 1:21.846s after receiving a reduced rank penalty.
The podium finish not only gave Velkumar his career’s biggest achievement but also delivered India its third medal at the ongoing Games, marking the nation’s best-ever campaign. India’s previous best was two medals at the 1989 edition.
Velkumar is no stranger to breaking barriers. In 2021, he became the first Indian to win a World Championships medal in skating, securing silver in the junior men’s 15000m elimination race in Colombia. He later added a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games as part of India’s men’s 3000m team.s
India’s tally at the 2025 World Games now includes Rishabh Yadav’s bronze in compound archery and Namrata Batra’s silver in wushu, alongside Velkumar’s historic bronze. Overall, India has won eight medals in World Games history – one gold, two silvers, and five bronzes.
The earlier medals include Aditya Snehal Mehta’s snooker gold at Cali 2013, Sumita Laha’s silver in powerlifting at Karlsruhe 1989, Prakash Padukone’s bronze in badminton at the inaugural 1981 edition, Rekha Mal’s powerlifting bronze in 1989, and the archery mixed team bronze by Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam in 2022.w
Velkumar’s achievement, however, stands apart as the milestone that has finally placed India on the World Games skating map.
