Shiva grabs silver at Asian Luge Championship

Posterboy of Indian winter sports Shiva Keshavan captured the silver medal in the 18th Asian Luge Championship that concluded here on Sunday.

The race, which comprised two heats, was closely contested by the Asian athletes. Though in the first heat, two-time continental champion Shiva was a mere 2/10th of a second behind, minor technical snags cost him the gold medal in the second heat.

The first place was claimed by defending champion Hidenari Kanayama of Japan, and third by South Korea's Kim Dong-hyeon.

"I am happy to add another medal to our kitty. This year has been extremely difficult for me financially and I am proud that despite that I have managed to keep India's flag flying in international winter sports," Shiva, who is hopeful of participation in the next Olympics that would be his sixth, said in a release.

"I was hoping to bring home the gold, but I still have another two years before South Korea 2018, and am hopeful that support with come forth so I can put my best performance yet for our country," he added.

Shiva will aim to continue the season by participating in three of the remaining World Cups, all to be held in Germany. The season will end with the Homologation of the Olympic Track in South Korea, where selected athletes will be able to preview and test the track there.