From ice skating workshops with Olympians from Russia, to getting the opportunity to scuba dive in an NCR mall, vacationing students this summer have been savouring a sporting treat. As we all know, Delhi and surrounds are nowhere near snow or sea. Yet the National Capital Region is in the midst of an avalanche of fun with both underwater adventures as well as playing with ice.
As years pass, event managers and property experts have been evolving at a fast pace, minting money with out-of-the-box, high maintenance summer holiday activities for children who are unable to reach the real skiing slopes or the deep blue ocean for a swim.
iSKATE in Ambience Mall Gurugram has been buzzing with youngsters wanting to pursue their dream of becoming ice-skaters. The organisers have gone big in their effort to create a buzz, bringing in none less than Olympian ice skating coaches Ms Svetlana Ahmer and Ms libouv Timeeva from Russia, Olympian coach Marek Stanuch from Austria and Basudev Tandi, Indian national figure skating coach, from New Delhi. These sessions are available at attractive prices starting at Rs 900 a session.
The training comes in a controlled environment under the expert guidance of award winning athletes and professional trainers like Chanderbhan, Jyoti and Aashu Singh who have represented India internationally.
Starting from 8 am, Monday to Sunday, the group sessions train participants in basics of ice skating such as tying laces and balancing, to advanced skills like reverse skating, jumps, spins as well as posture enhancements. In addition, individual sessions are held during the day, basis availability of the trainer.
Seven-year-old lavanya Wali, a Class IV student of Shalom Hills International School Gurugram, is the pick of the learners this season having become a master figure skater and a gold medalist at 13th National Ice Skating Championship in solo and pair performances.
Her proud mother Anupama Wali feels that making a career in skating has a bright future. Children have been taking this seriously as they see international scope in this sport. She rued that few people in India are interested in ice skating for now as it is a costly sport.
Svetlana, who is here all the way from Russia, says: “If the Government props this sport, it will get a lot of medallists from India. They have the potential to represent India at the Olympics. These are talented children but figure skating has to start from age four and the Indian Government should sponsor them,” she adds.
As the ice is being broken for now in a mall in Gurugram, another one in Greater Noida is making waves of another kind.
The Pacific Mall near Tagore Garden in West Delhi has come up with an unbelievable and innovative activity for adventurous children. Besides being an awesome do for a hot place like NCR, Underwater Discoveries also brings the incredible water activity of scuba diving to the Capital.
Through a replica, the organisers take the children for scuba diving in a huge tank and make them discover corals, fish and the seabed. It’s a 13-foot deep tank you need to take a dive into. Professional coaches are deployed to ensure the safety of children who get to swim with a whole variety of fish and touch and feel colourful corals.
Children below fours years of age can go for the easier activity of snorkeling which is no less fun. The water is promised to be 100 per cent pure with minimal health risks.
Then there’s Venice too that has come to us — in Noida. India’s first Venetian theme-based mall brings to life a perfect blend of magic, mystery and romance with the architecture of Venice. Spread across 3.2 million square feet, it is a treat for vacationing families, what with a replica of The leaning Tower of Pisa standing tall next to Gondola rides within the mall being the No 1 must-do experience.
