Luge athlete Shiva Keshavan, the sole Indian representative in the previous two editions of the Winter Olympics [Images], has qualified for the 2006 Games, to be held in Turin, Italy [Images], next February.

Although he is yet to receive a formal missive from the Indian Olympic Association, Keshavan qualified for the 20th edition of the Winter Olympics on the basis of his performance in various luge events held this year.

"The international qualifying standard for luge in the Olympic Games requires a minimum of five World Cup points and qualification in at least five tournaments. I satisfy these criteria having qualified in every World Cup I tried for this season and garnering nine points so far," Keshavan said from Florence.

"The International Luge Federation has also contacted me regarding my qualification," he added.

Keshavan, 22, is presently touring Europe, participating in various qualifying events and competing with world-class athletes in an effort to bring home a coveted Olympic medal for India.

"I have not been informed so far about any other Indian qualifier for Torino, but it is still early to say. I hope this time round I am not the only Indian there. In fact, India should begin a talent search programme and start training youngsters from this year itself for the 2010 Olympic Games in Canada [Images]," he said.

A Winter Olympic sport since 1964, Luge is a high speed sled ride through a semi-circular tunnel of ice. It's a challenging sport as the athlete has to ride with minimal protection at speeds averaging 150 km/hr.

"I have just tried out the new Olympic track at Torino. It's very fast and has proven to be very dangerous for the athletes. Last week, 10 people were taken to hospital during training, suffering from multiple fractures, trauma and bruises," Keshavan said.

"In fact, the organisers have decided to make some changes to the track for the safety of the competitors," he added.

The 22-year old is confident he has what it takes to grab that elusive Olympic medal.

"My dream is to win a medal for India. I can certainly be one of the world's best. This winter, my timings were within a one-second margin of the medal winners," he said.

"I am confident that with a new sled and equipment, I can further reduce the margin by half a second.

"Moreover, I am still seven to 10 years younger than the lugers who stood on the podium at the Salt Lake City Olympics," Keshavan added.

Keshavan was the youngest at the age of 16 to qualify for the 1998 Nagano Games. He finished 28th in the luge competition, second among Asian competitors. Four years later, at Salt Lake, Keshavan finished 33rd among 50 competitors.

This was no mean feat considering the constraints he had to face. In fact, an Indian qualifying for the Winter Olympics is a rare occurence.

"Most people don't even know that India participates in the Winter Olympics and they have certainly not heard of Luge," Keshavan said.

There are problems aplenty, including lack of awareness about the sport in India. In a country where sport starts and ends with cricket, Keshavan has a tough time dealing with officials who don't know what luge is all about.

"I have not had contact with the Indian Amateur Luge Association (IALA) for more than two years. In fact, I was not able to pursue my training in the 2003-2004 season because of the inactivity of the IALA," Keshavan alleged.

"I am one of the less experienced athletes on the circuit since I have not competed in many races. Which means I am still relatively nervous in a race, and have no team, coach or physiotherapist to help me improve on my mistakes," he added.