Highlights-
- Mohammad Arif Khan will be the sole representative of India at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
- He has earned the title of the first Indian to qualify for two different events of the winter games.
- Arif is all set to make history and aims to draw attention to India and its potential to be a top skiing destination.
When the 2022 Winter Olympics kick off on February 4, the alpine skier Mohammad Arif Khan will be the sole representative of India at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He is the only Indian qualified for Winter Olympic Games 2022 to be held in Beijing, making Kashmir and the country proud. The Kashmir-born international skier Arif Khan has earned the title of the first Indian to qualify for two different events of the winter games. Arif is all set to make history and aims to draw attention to India and its potential to be a top skiing destination.
Journey of success
The 31-year-old skier hails from Tangmarg, Kashmir. Tangmarg is a hill station near the popular North Kashmir skiing destination Gulmarg. His father, who owns a ski shop, introduced him to the sport at a young age. After this, he began skiing when he was four years old.
The alpinist walked 500 meters through thick snow to practice and reflected on his early days. Soon after, he turned to competitive skiing and steadily progressed through various events. He won a gold medal in the slalom event at the age of 12. It was his first appearance at a national championship. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.
Life Achievements of Arif Khan
Since 2005, Arif has represented his country in several world championships. To date he has competed in approximately 127 events in countries such as the United States, Japan, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Lebanon, and Austria.
His international debut came at a junior international ski federation (FIS) event in Yomase, Japan, where he placed 23rd. He then went on to win two gold medals at the South Asian Winter Games in 2011 in the slalom and giant slalom events.
After this, he went to the 2013 World Ski Championships, where he finished 59th in the slalom and 91st in the giant slalom. In addition, he finished 45th in the giant slalom event at the World Championships in Italy. He is the first Indian Alpine skater to compete in the World Championships four times.
Representing 140 crore people
Arif said in an interview, “I hope that my hometown of Gulmarg, which is the most beautiful place in the world and has a lot of potential for skiing, will attract people from all over the world, and I will do everything to make Gulmarg, Kashmir, and India proud. I am representing 140 crore people, and I will do everything in my power not to let them down.”
