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| GULSAGAR SINGH JASSAR |
At 16, Gulsagar Singh Jassar, is among the talented, hardworking and promising roller skater who has made a mark at the national level in speed skating.
He has just returned from China after representing Indian speed skating team in the 2005 World Speed Skating (Inline) Championship in Suzhou where he took part in seven different events and competed against the top-ranked skaters drawn from Italy, Columbia, USA and Korea.Gulsagar got selected in the team on the basis of selection trials held in Visakhapatnam in June this year. He says the world meet was his maiden attempt and it has provided insights as how one can improve. He is of the opinion that there were various hurdles for Indian skaters with major being for not being able to train themselves on a flat or bank track.
He says he also discussed the weak points and how to improve them with other coaches of various countries with the aid of Indian coaches.
His parents take equal interest in his skating career and provides him all kind of support.
Gulsagar, a student of class X of St John's School, Sector 26, says he has also won a gold medal in discus throw in the Chandigarh State Athletics meet and a silver medal in the CBSE Athletics meet last year. Gulsagar is not happy the way the Chandigarh Administration treat the sport with no gradation and no scholarships.
It may be recalled that Gulsagar has been the winner of three medals, including one gold medal in sub-junior section of the 39th National Roller Skating meet held in Visakhapatnam in 2002. His other achievements include one gold and two bronze medals in the 46th National School Games held in Panchkula in 2000. Last year, he won a silver medal in the 41st National Roller Skating meet in AP and this year in the 42nd National Skating meet in Faridabad, he bagged a silver medal. He had been training under coach Sarabjit 'Shammi' for quads event while for inline skating, he is being trained by J.S. Dhaliwal.
A suggestion which Gulsagar gives is to have flat speed track around any of the central parks in any of the sectors in the city which could be developed by the UT Sports Department with the help of the Municipal Corporation.
Gulsagar says, “Speed skating should not be misunderstood to be a recreational sport as it requires tremendous amount of stamina, dedication, concentration, body balance and above all rigorous competition to succeed at both national and international levels.”
Presently he is in Indore studying in IIT for more info click here
