“Raising India's medal tally at Olympics is something that I'd like to contribute towards” - Luge athlete Shiva Keshavan on his post-retirement plans
Having retired from luge after the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, India’s winter sports legend Shiva Keshavan has revealed his future plans to improve India’s medal tally at the Winter Olympics.
In a recent interview by Prasar Bharati Sports on its YouTube channel, Shiva Keshavan shared insights into his Olympic experiences, discussed his future plans, and offered his perspective on being labeled as the fastest Asian on ice.
“Now that I've retired from active sport, I think that I would like to fulfill the potential of our country internationally. I always thought that we are underrepresented, and I think that we can do a lot better on the international scene,” Shiva Keshavan told Prasar Bharati Sports.
“Apart from that, raising India's medal tally at the Olympics is something that I'd like to contribute towards. And it's not just because it's a number, it's because I want more youths to be involved in sports and show their potential and put their energy in a positive manner towards this,” he added.
“I broke the Asian speed record several times” - Shiva Keshavan
Dubbed as the fastest Asian on ice, Shiva Keshavan is a six-time Olympian and the first athlete to represent India in luge at the Winter Olympics. Notably, he set a new Asian speed record of 134.3 kmph, securing a gold medal in the Asia Cup 2011 in Japan.
In 2012, he set a new Asian track record at 49.590 seconds. When asked about his title of the ‘fastest Asian on ice’, Shiva revealed the reason behind it.
“I guess I was always one for speed, and I broke the Asian speed record several times. I think that's when probably some of the media started talking about me as "fire on ice" because I came from a warm country. And then it became "fastest man in Asia, fastest man on ice,” he stated.
Shiva was part of the Winter Games in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. Moreover, he competed in World Championships in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2015, and 2017. The 10-time Asian medallist advocates for the broader acceptance of winter sports in the country.
Additionally, he was the WADA ambassador in 2023 and bagged five medals in Asian Luge Cup, including two gold medals in 2011 and 2012. The Arjuna Award winner was the youngest luge Olympian in Winter Olympics history in the 1998 event.