‘Everyone at same level’
Winner of silver in moulding at WorldSkills Calgary, N Priyadarshan describes the feeling of clinching India's first medal

By Meha Mathur
New Delhi, September 22: Neekamparambarath Priyadarsan, 22, created history for the country at WorldSkills 2009, Calgary, when he won India's maiden medal, a silver in the competition. Priyadarsan won it for moulding, sharing it with Japan. The gold medal went to Korea. Talking to Skills Ahead, Priyadarsan, a student of Gedee Technical Training Institute (GTTI), Coimbatore, describe the euphoria on winning the medal and the homecoming after the competition. Short on words, Priyadarshan lets his work speak for him.

What are you pursuing at the moment?
I joined GTTI in 2005, and just passed out in August, after a four-year course at GTTI. The course had one year of industry experience.

How did you get interested in WorldSkills Competition?
My institute selected me from the batch. I was the only competitor in this category from my country, so there was no national competition.

What kind of preparation went for the competition?
I prepared for six months, including a four-month dedicated training.

Can you describe the competition?
There were seven candidates. There were two different products. There were specified sizes and we were asked to make mould and prepare the product as per the dimensions specified. The competition was tough and everyone was at the same level.

Can you recollect the moment of victory? You have become the first candidate to win a medal for the country in WorldSkills Competition.
It was a great moment.

Did you get to observe the event as a whole? How was the whole event organised?
Calgary is a very nice place, among the cleanest cities in the world. The organisation was good but there was language problem. There were so many activities, I was not able to see it fully.