A tenth grader at Seth Tolaram Bafna Academy, Bikaner, Yuvraj Modi started learning skating at the age of four with the support and inspiration of his mother. He has earned three gold medals in state competitions and is a national level skater. His aim is to represent India in the Asian and Olympic games and to win medals for the country.

The Initiation

At the age of four, Yuvraj's parents enrolled him in a sports institute to learn skating. Being a state-level athlete herself, his mother always encouraged and supported him in his sports endeavors. His enthusiasm in skating grew slowly, and he is currently succeeding in his aspirations.

Gurus & Role Models

With little resources at first, Yuvraj began training under his coach Yogendra Khatri. Yogendra made him the state champion skater by teaching him all the tricks. After that, Yuvraj trained on the road track at his academy, the Sadulganj Skating Rink. Yuvraj views his parents as his role models since they allowed him to participate in the sport. His coach Yogendra Khatri, who always inspires him, is another source of motivation for him. He thinks of him as a tremendous source of motivation for sports, and he also loves the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

The Talent

According to Yuvraj, the true definition of speed skating is using skates to sprint like the wind. There are many other kinds of skating, such as ice skating, which requires skaters to compete in races on the ice, and artistic skating in which dancing takes place on skates and also includes roller skating. There are several race categories in speed skating, including sprinting and long distance. Skaters must advance through a number of stages, including annual nationals, ranking nationals, Indian Team selections, Asian Games, World Championships, international competitions, and more.

Achievements

Yuvraj has won two state championships and four consecutive Nationals as a representative of Rajasthan. He competed in the SGFI Nationals in 2019 and also won the Best Player title in a state tournament. He has three gold medals from the state championships and hopes to win more at the national level.

A Bit More

In order to get success in skating one has to be dedicated, disciplined and determined and have to give at least 3-4 hours daily to practice, says Yuvraj. He hopes skating will also be included in the Olympics in the coming few years. Yuvraj says that initially he faced problems in managing his studies and sports but later he made a proper schedule and decided to give 4 hours for studies, 3 hours for sports and 1 hour daily for physical fitness. He put a lot of effort into proper training, techniques, camps, and practice in order to compete in the nationals.