Indian luge athlete, Shiva Keshavan, who had previously considered quitting the sport due to lack of financial support, is celebrating his well-deserved gold medal at the Asian Luge Championship in Nagano, Japan. The lack of financial backing had cast doubt over his participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Keshavan expressed his gratitude to his supporters and sponsors, including Mallcom Ltd, Hero Electronix, Hero Fincorp, and Micromax, stating that without their help, he would not have been able to return to the sport and win the medal for India. The athlete had been forced to withdraw from the 2016 World Championships due to lack of funds.

Looking ahead to the 2018 Olympic Games in Korea, Keshavan has partnered with Duncan Kennedy, a 21-time World Champion and former Technical Director of the USA Olympic Luge Team, to prepare for the event. He sees the Korea Games as a significant challenge for both himself and his country, emphasizing the importance of sustained support and essential requirements such as a coach. Keshavan aims to improve his world ranking over the next three years by participating in as many World Cups as possible.

Despite suffering a crash during training, which resulted in a broken sled and tendon damage to his left foot, Keshavan dominated the Asian Luge Championship race with a time of one minute, 39.962 seconds and a top speed of 130.4 km/h. This victory marked a turnaround for the athlete, who had faced adversity earlier in the week.