KUALA LUMPUR – It is going to be an unusual Deepavali this year for national figure skater C. Sree Abiraame and her family, as they will be spending it abroad competing in Lithuania.
Immediately after bagging a silver medal in Narva Cup 2021 in Estonia on Saturday, nine-year-old Sree will continue to train and compete in Tomas Cup on November 13.
Her father Chendren Balakrishnan told The Vibes how proud he is of Sree for being so passionate and dedicated towards the sport and aiming to bring home a medal for Malaysia.
“My wife and I are very proud of our daughter. She is determined to participate in the tournament (Tomas Cup) because she loves figure skating so much.
“Sree told us that if she could bring home a gold medal, that would be her Deepavali gift for Malaysia.”
Sree and her family last celebrated the Festival of Lights together in 2017.
Since then, she has been competing at the ISIAsia Skate Jakarta in 2018, Beijing in 2019, and Riga in 2020.
Sree was next to her father during the interview, chiming in to express her gratitude to Malaysians who have been supporting her journey.
“I want to thank all Malaysians who believe in me and for their neverending support.
“My dream is to be like Kim Yuna (retired South Korean competitive figure skater) and one day to make Malaysia proud and be an Olympic gold medalist,” she said.
When asked what makes her passionate about the sport, she said, “I love the cold.”
Chendren, who is an engineer running a consulting firm, has gone through great lengths to fund his daughter’s training.
He has had to sell a house, a car and dug into his Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) savings.
He has also launched a crowdfunding initiative on Sree’s birthday last year on December 19 via the Sree Abiraame Foundation.
They hope that one day Sree will be able to fulfil her dreams of taking part in the 2028 Winter Youth Olympics in South Korea and 2030 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Having won more than 50 gold medals at various levels, Sree has carved her name in the Asia Book of Records as the Youngest to Win Medals in International Figure Skating in 2019 and Malaysia Book of Records as the Youngest to Win Skate Asia Figure Skating Competition (Female) in 2017.
In conjunction with the holiday, Sree and her family would like to wish all Malaysians a very Happy Deepavali filled with happiness and brightness. – The Vibes, November 4, 2021
