Skating against odds, Mumbai’s four blaze a trail in Nepal

Updated On: 10 December, 2025 08:39 AM IST | Mumbai | Aditi Alurkar

Five-km route completed in around 45 minutes on steep hills, rubble, and sharp slopes under guidance of bikers honking to alert them

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The young skaters felicitated for completing the marathon. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Mumba’s quartet of visually impaired skaters and their coach have become the first such athletes to participate in Nepal’s 1st National Inline Skating Marathon. The 5-km event, held on hilly terrain instead of a skating rink, saw nearly 300 participants — but only four were visually impaired: Nishi Jariwala, Shubham Singh, Aftab Patel and Shivani Bandichode, all in their early twenties. The group, trained by the National Association for the Blind (NAB) and Turning Point Specially Abled Skating Association, completed the route in 30-45 minutes and was felicitated on December 6.

Sushant Chowgule, coach