Shiva trying to make a mark in luge

New Delhi: Shiva Keshavan won a bronze medal on December 22, at the Luge Asian Championships in Nagano, Japan. Luge is not a popular sport in India and Keshavan is a pioneer.

Just 27-year-old, Keshavan is already a veteran of three Winter Olympics but is not yet a household name in a country which does not have a tradition of winter sports. Not many people in India may be familiar with the kit used in the sport but one can find a similar kit at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

Keshavan was the sole representative from India at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City.

"I know that participating is important. The Olympic motto tells us that it is the game which is important. But I think what is important is to play the game with the idea of winning otherwise the game has no sense at all, it will be a formality," says Keshavan.

So what exactly is luge? It is pretty simple and includes hurtling down a track of ice and registering the best time. But it is also a dangerous sport and one can easily end up with a fracture in the legs.

"We go to speeds of up to 150km per hour. We hit very high centrifugal force of up to seven times the force of gravity. So in these conditions you have to perform," he says.

Being a pioneer has its ups and downs. Keshavan had given up the sport for the last two years after getting almost no support financially.

With training possible only abroad, personal finances can help only to an extent. But with Swiss Airlines and the Limca Book of Records pitching in now, Keshavan is excited.

"We had a motto in my school - never give up what you are doing. You always keep going till you succeed. This was one thing which kept me really hanging on when I was down, when I had no funding or sponsors," he reveals.

The 2012 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is what Keshavan is aiming at. He is not much behind the pack at the moment and is about one second of the pace but closing that gap is a tough ask.

"I am in fact talking with the Spice Energy of A1GP Team India. We are trying to develop some new Indian equipment which will enable me to compete with other countries. it is very secretive and everybody has their own thing and they don't disclose it. It is not really available in the markets.

Fighting against the odds seems to be the norm for Indian sportspersons. But it does make them tough and battle-hardened before the main battle. Keshavan has his best years ahead of him and making them count is his own personal battle.

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