Skarma Tsultin: How Belief, Perseverance and Khelo India Shaped Ladakh's First International Speed Skater

Leh (Ladakh), Jan 21: When Skarma Tsultin first laced up ice skating boots in the winter of 2018, there was no roadmap to international sport. She was just a schoolgirl attending a 15-day winter sports camp, trying ice skating like many children in Ladakh do every winter. It felt natural. It wasn't intimidating. And that quiet comfort on ice planted an idea-one that would later take shape through the Khelo India Winter Games.

For a few years, skating remained seasonal. Winters meant frozen Gupukh ponds across Leh turning into open playgrounds, while summers brought routine life back.

The real shift came in 2021, when national coach Abbas Nordak spotted Skarma while scouting talent in Ladakh. She didn't know she was being watched, but that moment

quietly altered her journey.

Under Nordak's guidance, Skarma began attending regular winter camps and soon earned a place at the 17th National Speed Skating Championship at ISKATE, Gurugram. Her first national outing, by her own admission, was "bad. " Artificial ice, the scale of competition, and the unfamiliar environment overwhelmed her. But the experience didn't stop her-it prepared her.

Family, Faith and the Long Road Forward

Training continued through summers with muscle conditioning and roller skating. Her father often took her for roller skating practice, sometimes travelling 20-40 kilometres, while her mother kept reminding her to skate for joy, not just medals. She competed at the 18th National Championships too, still without recognition-but with growing resolve.

The breakthrough arrived in 2023 at the 3rd Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg. For the first time, seven athletes from Ladakh took part. Competing in short track speed skating, Skarma won silver in the Junior Girls (15-19 years) 1000m, a medal that changed everything.

That podium finish earned her selection to the Indian speed skating contingent for the South East Asian Championship 2023 in Singapore, with preparatory training in the Philippines. It was her first international competition-and she was the only athlete from Ladakh in the team.

"It wasn't easy. I felt out of place," Skarma recalls. Language barriers and shyness made communication difficult. Facing skaters from Japan, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei and China-equipped with professional gear and confidence-was intimidating. She finished 11th in the 1000m, but the result mattered less than the realisation: her international journey had begun, and Khelo India was its launchpad.

Community Support That Changed Everything

There was a moment when doubts crept in. Academic pressure increased, progress felt slow, and she questioned whether the sport was meant for her. Then she returned home.

What awaited her at the airport changed her outlook. Family, friends, villagers, and even the Goba (village head) had gathered-not to celebrate medals, but to honour her for representing India. She was recognised by the LAHDC councillor, and Geshe-la, the head chamberlain of Thiksey Monastery, invited her for tea and gifted her tokens of encouragement.

That collective support made her feel seen-and gave her the strength to continue.

From Khelo India Podiums to International Ice

At the 4th Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh, Skarma found her rhythm. Medals followed in quick succession:

• Gold in the women's team relay (Ladakh's first-ever top podium finish)
• Silver in long track 500m
• Silver in mixed relay
• Bronze in long track

A year later, at the 5th edition, she won her first individual gold in the 1000m short track, a moment she cherishes deeply. That year also saw Team UT Ladakh top the medal tally for the first time.

Coach Abbas Nordak, then in Harbin, China, as head coach of the Indian ice skating contingent, was informed of her success. "Sir was happy," she says simply. For Skarma, Nordak has been mentor, motivator, and constant support-coaching athletes for years without charging fees and often bearing expenses himself.

She later represented India at the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy in Jakarta in 2024, continuing her steady climb on the international stage.

Looking Ahead: Skating Towards a Bigger Dream

Now, at the 6th Khelo India Winter Games, Skarma Tsultin will compete in two individual events-500m and 1000m short track-along with relays. Her journey did not begin with ambition. It grew through patient coaching, consistent platforms like Khelo India, and a community that chose belief over doubt.

The Olympic dream still flickers-the same one she remembers from the day she first wore skating boots seven years ago. And for Ladakh, that dream carries hope beyond one athlete. True to the meaning of her name-"star" in Ladakhi-Skarma Tsultin is already shining. One day, that light may well reach the Olympic ice.