Unkept promises may dash dreams of ice skating starlet

 

Sree Abiraame carrying out her training outdoors in Latvia. She complains of pains and cramps after every session.

The promising career of nine-year-old ice skating starlet Sree Abiraame Chendren looks headed for a premature end, no thanks to a litany of unkept promises.

So many had promised to help her achieve her dream of taking part in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics but a series of mixed messages and last-minute changes of mind have left her on the verge of despair, facing a return home in disappointment.

The Malaysian girl is ranked third in Asia by the Ice Skating Institute, behind two older Thais. She had wanted to feature in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Korea and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

The Covid-19 pandemic has ruined her training programme at the International Figure Skating School in Latvia under coach Alexander Ryabinin to prepare for the Youth Olympics.

The cost of hiring the rink, which was about 10 euros (RM50) per hour has risen to 120 euro (RM600) per hour and she needs four hours of training each day. Previously she could share the rink with 10 others but now has to train alone because of the coronavirus.

Her father, B Chendren Balakrishnan, said many had come forward to help.when his daughter’s plight was highlighted in November, The Sports Ministry also announced that it would help, as did political parties like the MIC.

The end result? Nothing.

Skating starlet Sree Abiraame Chendren.

“When the ministry and MIC said they would help, most other would-be sponsors backed off. But the ministry finally said they could not help, except provide tax-exemption status for donations that we collect.

“As for MIC, they too said they could not help. That left us with nowhere to go,“ said Chendren who has made several huge sacrifices to keep alive his daughter’s dreams.

An engineer with his own consultancy, Chendren has used up almost all his personal savings, dipped into his EPF and sold a house to pay for his daughter’s training and his wife’s stay in Latvia.

He has already put up his house for sale. “Someone has offered to buy it for RM480,000. I have asked him to allow me to live in that house for a while, paying RM1,000 in rent. I do not want to sell the house I live in. But if there is no other option, I may have to,” he said.

The only other option left to him is to bring his daughter home from Latvia and end her dream. “Maybe I will be able to raise money when the pandemic is over. Then maybe she can try again. But it might be too late,” he said. Too late because the momentum will be lost.

Sree Abiraame had been a freestyle level four skater when she went to Latvia in March last year, just before the movement control order was imposed in Malaysia.

She has since managed to clear levels five and six and on Feb 8, she will be tested for the freestyle gold level, which would put her in good stead for the Winter Youth Olympics qualification.

“Returning home would mean she can no longer train at that level and it may be years before she can achieve those standards again,” said Chendren, adding that the pandemic had dealt him a double whammy as his earnings have fallen drastically on one hand while the training costs have risen on the other.

To make ends meet before the test for the gold level, coach Ryabinin is resorting to having Abiraame train outdoors in freezing temperatures of between -10 degrees Celsius and -20 degrees Celsius.

But that’s easier said than done. “The outdoor rink is as hard as rock,” said a downcast Chendren. “Every day, after practice, she complains of pains all over her body, of cramps. She’s only nine. It’s very hard for a parent to take.”

But the girl is gritty. She is even preparing to have the test for freestyle gold done outdoors. “It will be something new. They always want to do it in a rink. But she and the coach believe she has what it takes.”

The test requires another outlay of 1,800 euros (RM9,000). “I don’t know if I can afford to pay that,” said Chendren. “I am running low on funds. If we decide to call it quits, I will also have to pay to get them back, probably via Finland. That will also cost me money,” he said,

For now, only a handful of donors have kept their promises, even if not in full. The Ohms Foundation in Klang has given him RM25,000 and promised another RM25,000 soon. They had pledged RM100,000 but only when things get better.

Another company, Rymax Lubricants, based in Holland, has been in touch but there has been no word in a while. However, the local agent, Mr Lee, has agreed to sponsor RM1,000 a month for 12 months.

“If only we could get some 30 companies to do that – sponsor Sree Abiraame RM1,000 a month – for a couple of years, I am sure we will be able to manage to make her dreams come true. The sponsorship will be tax-exempt, too,” said the father.

All donations can be channeled through Yayasan Abiraame which can be contacted at: 0162480808 - FMT