24th July 2025: Muthoot Finance, India’s largest gold loan NBFC, fully backed international-level skater AA Abna, a rising talent from Kerala, who is steadily carving her path in India’s sporting landscape. She is now set to represent the nation at the 20th Asian Roller-Skating Championship in Korea in July 2025. Abna is competing in the Senior Women’s Inline Speed Skating category, with her events scheduled for July 23.
Abna’s confirmed race entries include: 10 km Elimination Track Race, 5 km Points Track Race, 10 km Points Road Race, 15 km Elimination Road Race, 3000 m Relay (Relay team to be finalized post current training camp). This marks another milestone in Abna’s meteoric rise, which has been powered by Muthoot Finance’s holistic CSR sponsorship. This covers monthly stipend, training, equipment, travel, accommodation, and support for state/national events, allowing her to focus entirely on her performance.
Since receiving this support, Abna’s career has witnessed a remarkable ascent. Apart from the World Skates Games in Italy (2024), she gave gold-studded performance at the district and state -level championships. Her consistent success led to podium finishes at the National Skating Championship. Most recently, she clinched three gold medals at the MG Inter-University Roller Skating Competition, further establishing her dominance. In 2025, she continued her winning streak with four gold medals at the 8th Ranking Roller Skating Championship in Kerala, excelling in the 10 km elimination track race, 5 km points track race, 10 km points road race, and 15 km elimination road race.
A second-year B.Com LLB student, Abna began skating in the fourth standard. Despite the lack of proper coaching facilities and skating tracks in Kerala, she pushed through with grit and support of her family. Her mother left her teaching job to accompany her for training and competitions, and her father, a former cricketer with the Kerala team, instilled in her a deep sporting spirit from a young age. She currently trains at YARS (Yashwanth’s Academy of Roller Skating) in Palakkad, clocking six hours of rigorous training every day across two sessions.
“My dream is to see the Indian flag fly because of me. The support from Muthoot Finance has not just given me financial backing but also immense motivation to believe in my potential. It is helping me dream bigger and push harder for my next medal,” said AA Abna, National Skater.
“We believe that sports can play a vital role in shaping character, instil discipline, and offer positive direction to youth. India is home to immense untapped sports talent at the grassroot level, and our CSR initiative is focused on identifying and nurturing that potential. Supporting Abna reaffirms our commitment to build an inclusive sports ecosystem that empowers athletes to rise against the odds,” said George Muthoot George, Deputy Managing Director of Muthoot Finance. Beyond individual sponsorships, Muthoot Finance’s CSR initiatives under sports promotion include infrastructure support for athletes, government institutions, provide assistance to para-athletes, sub-junior weightlifters, archery talents, and more.