 "Anandkumar Velkumar clinches India’s historic first gold at Speed Skating World Championships; PM Modi hails feat")
Indian skater Anandkumar Velkumar made history, securing the nation its first-ever gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships in China on Monday.
The 22-year-old skater won the top prize in senior men’s 1,000 m sprint with a time of 1:24.924.
The triumph just came days after Velkumar had secured a historic bronze in the 500 m sprint event in the same championship event at Beidaihe, clocking 43.072s to claim India’s first senior world championship medal.
The icing on the cake for India was some additional success in junior competition, with youngster Krish Sharma securing a 1,000 m sprint gold medal.
PM Modi hails Anandkumar after skating history
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Anandkumar Velkumar for his stellar achievement.
“Proud of Anandkumar Velkumar for winning the Gold at the Senior Men’s 1000m Sprint in the Speed Skating World Championships 2025. His grit, speed and spirit have made him India’s first World Champion in skating. His accomplishment will inspire countless youngsters. Congratulations to him and best wishes for all future endeavours,” The PM wrote on X.
𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮! 🥇
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) September 15, 2025
𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿 won India’s first-ever gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships in China.
The 22-year-old speedster clinched the senior men’s 1000m sprint title with a timing of 1:24.924s, becoming the first… pic.twitter.com/sqlLK10Q0K
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, a former Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports from 2019-21, hailed Anandkumar for his historic triumph on X, posting, “What a glorious moment for Indian sports! Anandkumar Velkumar clinches Gold in the 1000m Sprint at the Speed Skating World Championship 2025, becoming the first-ever Indian World Champion in the sport. Proud of you, Champ!”
The Speed Skating World Championships started in Beidaihe on September 13 and will continue until September 21.
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