Young figure skater, C. Sree Abiraame
Figure skating is a sport not well-known to Malaysians for several reasons, one of them being the fact that the sport is often associated with colder climate countries. Just four years ago, national athletes Julian Yee and Jeffrey Webb became the first Malaysians to represent the country at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Now, their legacy is about to be continued by a rising star who’s already making a name for herself after having won over 50 gold medals at a very young age. Meet Sree Abiraame B Chendren, who rose to fame when she became the youngest champion at the Skate Asia figure skating competition.
Here are seven stunning facts about the ice skating prodigy that you should know.
1. She started skating when she was only three years old
Image credit: Sree Abiraame B Chendren
Born on 19th December 2011 in Selangor, Sree Abiraame B Chendren is a Malaysian figure skater who made a breakthrough entry into the national skating scene when she was just five years old.
She picked up the sport at an age while most of us were still learning how to balance on our bikes – Abiraame was only three years old when she started. Her passion for ice skating came about during a childhood visit to Sweden with her parents.
At that time, her aunt had brought her to play with snow and lil’ Abiraame quickly developed a passion for the sport that we witness today. Her father, Chendren Balakrishnan, is the main pillar of support behind her shining career, and is an engineer who runs his own consulting company.
2. She is the youngest winner of the Skate Asia figure skating competition
Image credit: Sree Abiraame B Chendren
Abiraame’s big break in figure skating began when she became the youngest person to be crowned champion at a Skate Asia figure skating competition. She earned this title at the age of six and subsequently entered the Malaysia Book of Records in the female category in 2017.
For the uninitiated, Skate Asia is one of the world’s largest team recreational skating competitions held in Asian cities every summer, dating back as early as 1989.
This incredible achievement by Abiraame comes with regular practice and rigorous training. Despite her young age, the athlete trains like a beast, spending between two to three hours, six days a week, training.
3. She entered the Asia Book of Records when she was only eight
Image credit: @sreeabiraame
Following her remarkable win at Skate Asia and entry into the Malaysia Book of Records in 2017, Abiraame went a step further by setting foot into the Asia Book of Records. In 2019, the little superstar was recognised with the title ‘Youngest to Win Medals’ in International Figure Skating in the Asia Book of Records.
This moment was significant in her budding career, and was made extra special as she received the honour from then Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail in an official ceremony.
Abiraame’s well-known achievements are a product of the countless hours she spent training. The figure skater spends a lot of time learning and training in Latvia with her coach Alexander Ryabinin from St. Petersburg, Russia. Her mother, Shyamala Ramachandran, also stays in Latvia to support all of Abiraame’s training.
4. She has won over 50 gold medals in ice skating so far
Image credit: @sreeabiraame
Being a young contender doesn’t stop Abiraame from racking up medals in skating competitions. The Kingsley International School student has won over 50 gold medals since the start of her career.
The medals come from various local and international ice-skating championships such as the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) International Figure Skating Tournament in Abu Dhabi, ISI Asia Skate Shenzhen 2018, and the ISI Asia Skate Beijing 2019, to name a few.
Abiraame will be turning 11 this December, and her medal tally is constantly growing as she comes back with more achievements every time.
5. She has also won various international competitions since she started
Image credit: @sreeabiraame
Apart from the entries into the book of records and dozens of gold medals clinched, Abiraame has plenty more victories to flaunt as she has also won trophies from numerous international skating championships.
This includes the Narva Cup Estonia 2021 where she finished in second place, the Thomas Cup Lithuania 2021 in third place and the Tallinn Trophy Estonia 2021 in first place.
Her long list of achievements also includes 10 silver and four figure skating bronze medals. She was also awarded the International Achievers Award 2020 by the Patanjali College of Yoga and Research Center in India and the International Yoga Federation, for winning multiple championships at the international level.
6. Her dream is to represent Malaysia at the Winter Olympics
Image credit: Sree Abiraame B Chendren
Ice princess Abiraame started skating at the age of three with the ambition to become a professional skater. But her biggest dream yet is to represent Malaysia in International Skating Union (ISU) Championships and big sporting events such as the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in South Korea and the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
Currently, a lot of the competitions that she has joined are recreational skating under the ISI. But representing the country in the Winter Olympics like national athletes Julian Yee and Jeffrey Webb remains her primary goal.
Abiraame hopes to make Malaysia a renowned and serious competitor in the skating community worldwide after the country’s Winter Olympic debut in 2018.
7. She has a charity organisation named after her to support her career
Image credit: Sree Abiraame B Chendren
Though a lot of Malaysians know Abiraame as the country’s ice skating prodigy, it wasn’t easy for her to reach her goals and be crowned champion at multiple tournaments. This is because skating can be a pricey sport to participate in, with costumes, training, and travelling easily costing tens of thousands of ringgit.
As Abiraame’s parents faced difficulty to fund her growing sports career due to the increasing cost of training and travel expenses, the family set up a crowdfunding campaign through the Sree Abiraame Foundation to support her career. Malaysians who are willing to contribute to Abiraame’s career can channel donations through this organisation.
Their plight and the absence of monetary support from the government and local sports bodies have been highlighted by local media several times. A ruling by the Ice Skating Association of Malaysia states that applicants must be at least 13 years old to receive funding from the government in figure skating.
Among the many sacrifices made by Abiraame’s father in order to fund her training includes selling a home and a car, as well as tapping into his Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) savings for money.
Malaysia’s ice skating prodigy, Sree Abiraame
Sree Abiraame is an ice skating prodigy who we look forward to cheering on at many more tournaments to come. She has quite a way to go to fulfil her ambition to represent Malaysia in the 2028 Winter Olympics, and with financial constraints still a major concern for this ice princess to move forward in sports.
We hope Sree Abiraame will get the support she needs from her fellow Malaysians, as she’s certainly a great asset to our country’s sports scene.
Read more about Malaysian athletes here:
- 9 facts about former national artistic gymnast Farah Ann
- 10 things to know about Malaysian squash queen, Nicol Ann David
- 8 facts about world-renowned shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo
Cover image adapted from: Sree Abiraame B Chendren and Sree Abiraame B Chendren
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