Telangana’s young ice skating prodigy, Pranav Madav Surapaneni, has etched his name in history by qualifying for the Junior World Cup in Short Track Ice Skating, to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan. He becomes the first-ever skater from Telangana to qualify for this prestigious global event, one of only three Indians to do so this year.
Pranav’s journey began seven years ago at a summer camp, where he was discovered by Coach MA Qudeer, the only certified ice skating coach in Telangana. Under Qudeer’s guidance, Pranav quickly rose, consistently winning medals at district, state, and national levels.
Over the past five years, Pranav has been a national medallist and a Khelo India Winter Games medallist for three consecutive years. At the 2025 Khelo India Winter Games, the 15-year-old clinched three medals despite competing in the senior category, significantly contributing to Telangana’s fourth-place finish.
His achievement earned him praise from the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATS), with Vice Chairman A Sonibala Devi and Chairman Shiva Sena Reddy advising him to “think big” and aim for the Olympics. Pranav also receives encouragement and guidance from Amitab Sharma, President of the Ice Skating Association of India.
Earlier this year, Pranav won a silver medal at the Asian Open Short Track Championship in Dehradun, where he secured the Junior World Cup qualifying time. He is currently undergoing advanced training in South Korea under top coaches.
“My main goal is to represent India at the Winter Olympics,” said the 16-year-old athlete.
He appealed for support and sponsorship, highlighting the high financial cost of training abroad due to limited infrastructure in India. Pranav’s journey stands as an inspiration and a symbol of Telangana’s emerging talent in winter sports.
