Participants as young as five zipping through the indoor roller skating track; a few tumbles or crashes resulting in bruised knees and elbows, cuts in the chin and bleeding nose; animated coaches and parents cheering and screaming instructions; first-timers among the raucous crowd watching in awe of a "never-seen-before" human activity.
Amid all this commotion, one particular competitor is the cynosure of all eyes at the arena. And Dhanush Babu, the fastest Indian on skates, is enjoying every bit of this spotlight in the Chennammanakere ground here.
The 27-year-old from Karnataka has been busy posing for photographs and offering tips to aspiring youngsters while grabbing a few medals himself in between at the ongoing 60th National Roller Skating Championships.
“It's a good feeling when people recognise your efforts,” said Dhanush who has won two individual golds (200m dual time trial and 500+D), a mixed relay gold and a bronze in the men’s relay so far with two more individual road events left.
The attention is because of the Bengaluru boy’s long list of achievements since he first wore a roller skater as a 4-year-old.
Dhanush has three bronze medals from the four Asian Championships besides representing India at the World Championships eight times where he has had a 5th and 6th place finishes. He recently became the first Indian male to take part in the World Games (for non-Olympic sports) in Birmingham, USA and ended fifth in the 100m road race.
While he has constantly been making waves on the international circuit, Dhanush’s medal count at the State and National competitions keeps growing.
“I won my first national medal in 2002. The golds at this edition were emotional because it was at the same venue that I won my first ever national gold in 2012. To do it in front of home support all over again is extra special,” said the speed skater.
Coming from to a family of sportspersons - father Balaji Babu was a cricketer, mother Sudha an athlete, grandmother Vanitha K also an athlete and sister Mouna a roller skater-turned-tenpin bowler - athleticism came naturally to Dhanush.
“Though I have played other sports, it was skating that excited me the most. My spirit animal is an eagle and I always wanted to glide like the majestic bird. Skating gives me that feeling,” he explained.
But the highs he has now reached in the sport would not have been possible had he listened to one of his early coaches who dismissed the youngster's ability based on being a lefty.
“Skating requires a powerful right leg because we are turning left at the bends (right leg push is key to go left). Since I'm a lefty, my left leg was the dominant side. So the coach back then said I will never become a good skater.
“That's when my dad took it up as a challenge and got himself certified as a skating coach and started training me,” Dhanush recalled.
And the father-son duo have been in pursuit of excellence ever since. They even set-up their own academy, City Skaters Arena in Tavarekere, three years ago to not only help Dhanush chase bigger goals but to also impart knowledge and train budding skaters.
Inspiring the growing community of roller skaters in the country, the role-model for many hopes to compete in the European circuit and break that barrier for the rest to follow.
“I have come close to a podium finish a few times at the world stage. It is an achievable dream that will open doors for other Indians and also help the sport gain more recognition,” expressed Dhanush who hopes to become a poly athlete.
But that mountain will be scaled after reaching on top of the ones in sight right now he signed-off.