The Indian was forced to pull out of last month’s Luge World Championships and the reminder of the World Cup season due to a lack of financial backing.

The 34-year-old wrote to Sarbananda Sonowal, India's Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, requesting their intervention ahead of the World Championships which took place in Königssee, Germany from January 29 to January 31.

Keshavan won a silver medal at December’s Asian Luge Championships in the Japanese city of Nagano, the scene of his Asia Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2012, and he went to New Delhi on the back of his result to submit his funding application for the upcoming races.

A statement issued on behalf of Keshavan read: "With no favourable response despite the podium finish in his previous race, Shiva has been forced to cut his season short."

India’s only professional luger is now seeking monetary contributions, amounting to just over Rs.100 lakh (£102,000/$147,000/€130,000), which will help ensure his participation at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, he claimed. 

"Since I was not getting any help from the Union Sports Ministry, my friends suggested me to go for crowdfunding," Keshavan told the Times of India.

"We are trying to raise some funds but it is like a drop in the ocean.

"The babus in [the] Sports Ministry have been full of apathy for winter sports.

"But, I am hopeful of holding our national flag once again during the Opening Ceremony of 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea."

Keshavan, the first Indian luger to compete at the Winter Olympic Games when he participated at the 1998 Games in Nagano, has also lost the services of his American coach Duncan Kennedy, who decided to quit having not been paid his complete salary in 2015.

Kennedy, a holder of 21 world titles and former technical director of the USA Luge team, started working with Keshavan in 2014 and strongly believed that he could be successful at the top level.

"I need nearly Rs. 30 lakh (£31,000/$44,000/€39,000) to pay on year's salary to my coach, then Rs. 12 lakh (£12,000/$18,000/€16,000) for equipment, Rs. 13 lakh (£13,000/$19,000/€17,000) for winter and summer training which will include training fee, track fee, gym and physio therapy," said Keshavan. 

"Besides, there will be travel expenses that will amount to nearly Rs. 20 lakh (£20,000/$29,000/€26,000).

"Another Rs. 28 lakh (£28,000/$41,000/€36,000) will be required for boarding and lodging.

"Altogether it amounts to a little more than Rs. 1 crore (£102,000/$147,000/€130,000)."

Keshavan was offered citizenship by Italy in 2002, along with access to the country's existent luge infrastructure and funding, but rejected the offer and cited patriotism as the main issue.

In the last year, BitGiving has overseen campaigns from the likes of the Indian ice hockey team, which raised funds to participate in the Challenge Cup of Asia in Kuwait.

Rio 2016 shot put hopeful Inderjeet Singh has also made use of the platform, as has mountaineer Kuntal Joshier as part of his mission to climb Mount Everest.

"After witnessing so many sportsmen coming forward to raise funds, it is getting evident that crowdfunding is now becoming an answer for upcoming sportsmen," said Ishita Anand, founder and chief executive of BitGiving.

"It is not only helping these competent players to secure funds, but also promoting new sports and talents, which otherwise do not get noticed amongst already popular Indian sports."