Skating prodigy Sree Abiraame to train in South Korea

Malaysia’s Ice Princess C. Sree Abiraame will undergo a three-year training stint with South Korea’s leading ice skating club, The Skating Club Jewels.

The 10-year-old skating prodigy will move to Gimhae, a city in South Gyeongsang Province, to prepare for the 2028 Youth Winter Olympics and 2030 Winter Olympics.

“I am ready to train hard, although training sessions last six hours. I am used to it,” said Sree Abiraame.

Her father, B. Chendren, said Sree would leave for South Korea on Oct 1 to begin her intensive training.

“This is phase four of Sree’s preparations on the world stage, which require six hours of daily high-intensity training, six times a week.

“Training sessions in Malaysia last a maximum of two hours, and we do not have complete facilities.

“We will also have a technical coach when training there (in South Korea), and he will analyse Sree Abiraame’s performance from time to time,” he said.

Earlier, Sree Abiraame received sponsorship worth RM30,000 from Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI Selangor) and a contribution amounting to RM60,000 from Yayasan Sime Darby to finance the cost of training there.

MBI Chief Executive Officer Norita Mohd Sidek handed over the sponsorship at Sunway Pyramid Hotel.

He also thanked the state government for its unwavering support of his only daughter since her exposure to the sport.

“Thank you to the Selangor government through MBI for sponsoring Sree Abiraame.

“Since she started her journey as an ice-skater in 2015, we have spent nearly RM1.4 million on sports expenses, and the money came from various parties including the state government, private companies as well as our savings,” he said.

Currently, the Selangor athlete has won over 50 gold medals in numerous local and international competitions.

Last year she finished second in her first international meet at the Narva Cup in Estonia, followed by a third placing in the Tomas Cup in Lithuania. She also lifted the Talinn Trophy in Estonia.