A pair practises at Clown Town on Tuesday. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

The 4th National Ice Skating Championship is currently being held for the first time in Calcutta (June 6 and 7), with around 130 participants from 11 states across the country, at the ice skating rink in Clown Town.

The events are divided under two broad disciplines ? figure skating and speed skating. The categories are beginner, sub-junior, junior and senior, for boys and girls separately, encompassing the five-to-25 age group.

Organised by Ice Skating Association of India (ISAI), a member of the International Skating Union, Switzerland, it began four years ago with 20 competitors from three states.

?The popularity of ice skating as a sport is growing,? observed R.K. Gupta, president of ISAI and joint secretary of the Indian Olympic Association. ?In the last Olympics, a member of the Indian team came in 40th in the qualifiers, but only 36 contestants were allowed to compete. In 2010, we aim to have one Indian qualifying in ice skating for the first time. And we will definitely be sending a team to the Asian Games next year.?

About 100 youngsters have been getting fitness training and coaching for the past three weeks, pre-competition, from Canadian figure skating coach Judy Lowrie and speed skating specialist Marek Stanuch of Austria. ?We also held a summer camp, in which around 300 children participated. That is a sure sign that ice skating is gaining in popularity,? added Sanjay Maheshwari, director of Clown Town.

Maharashtra and Ladakh are the top skating states, while West Bengal is still a little behind, observed Gupta, although kids here are headed in the right direction. And they do have what it takes to turn professional, added coach Lowrie. ?It?s only been three weeks, but I can see that some of them are good at it. They have the potential to pursue the sport further, mentally and physically. But financially, they need support. The equipment is expensive, so sponsorships are essential,? she explained.

Debarati Ray, 16, was born in Calcutta but grew up in Muscat. She took up skating seven years ago, and despite being in Class XII, she continues to practise, compete and win medals. ?There are children who joined the summer camp and are now competing in the championship. So, the interest is definitely rising,? said Maheshwari.

Gupta added that the strength of the skaters is going up year by year. ?They go for training and competitions around the world, from France and Germany to Korea and Taiwan. More athletes and clubs are participating in championships. Our aim is to ensure that there are more ice skating rinks around the country, instead of just the two now (in Mumbai and Calcutta),? he summed up.