Indian Dutch speed skater to Olympic winter games

This 28 December 2017 video is about the victory of Indian Dutch speed skater Anice Asha Farzana Das in the 500 meter race in the Dutch Winter Olympics qualification event in the Thialf stadium in Heerenveen. At the end of the video, one sees the happiness of Anice’s twin sister Savida on the seated spectator stands.

This is an October 2017 interview with Ms Das and her sister.

Anice and Savida were born 31 December 1985 in Mumbai, India. Their poor parents did not have enough money to care properly for the girl twins. At seven months of age, a Dutch couple became their adoptive parents.

They went to live not far from the skating track in Assen. Little Anice asked her parents for speed skates. The parents said, OK, but only if you join a speed skating club. Else you might not use the skates maybe after two or three times.

Anice Das since has never stopped skating. She became one of the best Dutch short distance speed skaters. One of the best; never the best, never the champion. Often, she did not have a commercial sponsor like other good Dutch skaters have. Sometimes, sickness or injuries prevented her from racing.

Now, she is 31, almost 32. An age when many sports people stop, or think they will stop soon. But yesterday, Ms Das for the first time won a Winter Olympics qualification race. If there won’t be a disaster, then she will compete at the Olympic ice rink in South Korea in February 2018.

Anice Das is the first ever person of colour ever to participate for the Netherlands in Winter Olympics. She has an orange car. ‘The colour of Dutch national sports teams; also in the flag of India’.

After the Olympics, Anice and Savida plan to visit their biological parents in India. ‘Maybe we will have to explain to them what ice is’.

Vandaag in @timesofindia en morgenochtend 6.15u NLse tijd live bij Radio 1. #IncredibleIndia pic.twitter.com/bldAjV81p7

— Anice Das (@aniceasha) May 10, 2018

THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON THE U.S. OLYMPIC LONG-TRACK SKATING TEAM PICKED UP THE SPORT FOUR MONTHS AGO Yes, we can call get off the couch now. [HuffPost]