Asian Games-bound City Skater: Dr. Varsha S. Puranik

Roller-skating is a popular sport in Mysuru city and many roller-skaters have gone on to do well in the National and International level. Our city's Varsha S. Puranik, a talented roller-skater is the only Mysurean to represent the country in 2018 Asian Games to be held at Palembang, Indonesia from Aug.18 to Sept.2. A National Champion and an Ekalavya Award winner Dr. Varsha S. Purnanik is our 'Star This Week.' Varsha will be competing with the other top 16 skaters from other Asian countries like Japan, China, Korea out of which four are World Champions. This is the third time Varsha is representing the country in the Asian Games. Varsha has represented India in the Asian Championships in 2001, 2004, 2012, 2014 and 2016. She will also be representing India in the Asian Roller-Skating Championships to be held in South Korea from Sept.4 to 14. Varsha represented Karnataka in the 2017 National Championships and emerged as the Individual Champion in the women's section. She has so far won 44 gold medals, 17 silver medals and six bronze medals in the National Championships (Speed-Skating) organised by the Roller-Skating Federation of India. Varsha represented India in the Asian Winter Games at Sapporo, Japan, in February 2017 in the women’s section. Varsha has represented India at three World Championships, two Asian Games (Summer & Winter) and World Skating Championship in Venezuela. She has won bronze in the 10th Asian Games in Taiwan in 2001. The 30-year-old is the daughter of R. Srirama Krishna (retd. IOB) and Thara Srirama. She has a elder brother in Sri Harsha, whose Roller-Skating exploits inspired her also to take up to this sport. She is a PG student of MD Microbiology and is working in a city hospital. Starting skating at a young age of three, Varsha began her basics at Bal Bhavan Roller-Skating rink under the guidance of Ravi in 1990. She joined Vishwamithra Roller Skating Club in 1993 and started to train under the guidance of late K. Sridhar Rao at J.K. Grounds. Presently she trains with R. Srikanta Rao, a Ekalavya Award winner at the Rao's Roller Skating Club.