Hyderabad, Aug 3: Shriya Murali, a third-year B.Tech student at VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering & Technology , has won the Bronze Medal in the Category 6 Chicks Girls event at the 21st Ice Skating National Championship 2026, held in Dehradun. What makes Shriya‘s achievement extraordinary is that she trained for an ice sport with no ice–skating infrastructure. With no dedicated ice rink in Telangana, she spent months training extensively on inline skates, carefully adapting her movements to simulate the balance, edge control and technique required on ice before travelling to practice on ice whenever opportunities arose.
An accomplished international artistic roller skater representing Team India, Shriya‘s latest achievement marks an inspiring return to competitive ice skating after an 8-year hiatus. Shriya made the strategic transition to competitive ice skating driven by a larger dream, to compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage. While artistic roller skating has delivered India several international medals, it is not an Olympic discipline. Ice skating, however, offers athletes the opportunity to compete at the Winter Olympics, motivating Shriya to embrace an entirely new challenge.
Training under Arjuna Awardee Anup Kumar Yama, Shriya has established herself as one of India’s most accomplished young skaters. Since beginning her skating journey in 2015, she has amassed an impressive 96 medals, including 41 Gold, 42 Silver and 13 Bronze medals, across international, national, state and district championships. She has represented India at prestigious competitions such as the Asian Roller-Skating Championships in China and South Korea, where she won 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 bronze medals, besides securing a silver medal at the Oceania Pacific Cup 2023 in Brisbane, Australia.
Congratulating Shriya on her achievement, Dr. B. Chennakesava Rao, Principal, VNR VJIET, said,
“Shriya‘s achievement is a powerful reminder that excellence is built on determination, not circumstances. Transitioning from roller skating to ice skating, despite limited dedicated training infrastructure in Telangana, reflects extraordinary perseverance and commitment. Her ability to pursue an Olympic dream while simultaneously excelling in a rigorous engineering programme is truly inspiring.