Not one, not two but six gold medals have come to the Bahety home in Ultadanga after the two daughters came back from the National Ranking Skating championship in Chhattisgarh this June.
The elder, 19-year-old Riddhi, picked up the yellow metal for inline skating (in which multiple wheels are arranged in a single line in a metal or plastic frame on the underside of the skating boot) in 10km, 15km and 100m road racing. Prisha, four and half years younger to Ridhi, got the same for quad skating (in which the wheels are placed one in each corner of four-wheeled skates) in 3km and one lap road and 1,000m rink races.
Residents of the blocks near Visarjan Ghat would have seen the sisters practising on the New Town road early in the morning for years. “They would practise near Visarjan Ghat from 5am to 6.30-7am. In the evening, they headed to the rink at Bidhan Sishu Udyan from 6pm to 7.30-8pm,” said mother Rekha Bahety.
The opening of the rink last December a stone’s throw away from their residence has been a blessing for the sisters. “When they used to skate only on the road, making the turnings at the contests were a problem for them. Now they have a circular track on which to practise that,” she added.
Both girls, recipients of The Telegraph School Award for Excellence in Sport in 2020 and 2021 respectively, had examinations in the run-up to the nationals. Prisha had her Class X CBSE Boards while Ridhi was to appear for Part II of financial risk management course that she is taking alongside her economics course from St. Xavier’s University, New Town. The proximity of their home to the rink meant they could practise intermittently before the examinations and in Ridhi’s case, even in between.
“They study through the night and keep each other company before exams,” their mother says.
Ridhi (left) and Prisha display their medals. The Telegraph
Prisha’s exam ended on May 24 and Ridhi’s on May 26. “After that, we started practising for three sessions a day, totalling close to five hours. This included stretching and other exercises on cylindrical foam. We got about 20 days to shape up,” said Ridhi.
With the championship happening after a gap of two years, participation was high, with about 3,000 contestants from 25 states, and competition was fierce. Coach Victor Balmiki said he had high expectations of Ridhi, who had won a gold and two silvers the last time the competition took place, in 2019. “I know she will play for India one day,” he says.
But the sterling performance of Prisha, though a gold medalist in the under-14 age group in 2019, took him by surprise. “Initially she lacked power. And this was her Board exam year. I had to let her go half an hour earlier than others since January so she could make it in time for her tuitions. How beautifully she has managed to strike a balance between studies and skating! At the championship, her age group 14 to 17 years, was the toughest, with over 75 participants. She had to compete in the heat to reach the top 32, and then the top 16, before taking part in the quarter-final, semi-final and then winning the final,” Balmiki said.
Prisha admits being very competitive. “With Sis winning, I was determined to do just as well. I had faith in my practice. My parents are happy that both of us are not in the same age group,” she laughs.
There was no celebration on their return from Raipur other than the cutting of a chocolate cake. The sisters have their eyes set on higher targets.
Six months ago, Prisha has taken up another sport — pistol shooting — and has already won a medal at an intra-academy meet at the Joydip Karmakar Shooting Academy. She is also a brown belt in karate at school (Mahadevi Birla World Academy). “I am not leaving any sport now. I will decide on one later,” says the 15 year old, who idolises the shooter Manu Bhaker. “I have heard that she was also into skating, karate and kho kho before she focused on shooting,” says Prisha, who shuns social media and spends her free time in listening to motivational speeches on YouTube.
Ridhi is now training for the National Roller Skating Championship set to take place in Bangalore this December. The stakes are high as a minimum of two silvers would be needed to qualify for the India team trials.
Medals of other metals
The Bengal team has set a record this year at the championship, informs coach Balmiki. “For the first time in a national skating event, both the winner and the first runner-up were from Bengal. The girl who got the silver alongside Prisha in the 3km road race, Naina Varandani, is an AK Block girl and is also from Balmiki’s academy.
Prisha Bahety (centre) and Naina Varandani on the podium in Bengal team jersey. The Telegraph
“Naina got a bronze in another category, one lap road, despite getting cramps during the race,” he said. “She had also bruised her feet. I massaged her feet in between her events as it was not possible to administer painkillers during the competition due to restrictions on drug usage. She would surely have got a second silver if injuries did not come in the way.”
The Bahety sisters practise on a New Town road. Sudeshna Banerjee
“I am determined to go for gold the next time. For now, I am resting to let my foot heal in time for the third National Ranking Championship in August. This year we have two editions of the contest since the event could not take place these last two years,” Naina says.
But even if her foot heals, she might not make it. “I am in Class X now. Let’s see if my semester exams clash with the nationals,” says the student of Laxmipat Singhania Academy.