Nakul Shivani/New Delhi

At the crack of dawn as the sun breaks through a beautiful Gulmarg sky, 32-year-old Arif Khan is getting ready to don his sking gear.

Stepping out of his home lugging the heavy equipment, Arif pauses for a moment, takes a deep breath to absorb the majestic snow-covered Himalayan ranges.

Moments later,  he is on top of a sking slope feeling an adrenaline rush as the soft snow makes a crackling sound with his boots hitting the ground.

The helmet in place, goggles set, poles firmly gripped in each hand, Arif is all set to pierce through the icy-winds.

For the next close to 180 seconds, he cuts his way downhill through pre-arranged flags, racing against time.

At the end of the slope Arif takes a 360-degree swerve, pushes his goggles up and breaks into a soft smile at the roughly 30-degree elevation – This is what he loves doing, this is where he started dreaming.

Meet Arif Mohammad Khan – the Jammu and Kashmir boy who has today become the poster-boy for winter sports in India – the only Indian to have qualified for two events ever at the Winter Olympics.

Arif Khan - only Indian to have qualified for two events at the Winter Olympics

Son of a sking equipment rental shop owner in Gulmarg, Arif was virtually born with Skis in his feet. “I started sking from the age of four. My father built a temporary slope next to his shop. Watching people rent equipment and come down the slopes for recreation, hooked me on to it,”says Arif.

A product of the Army school in Tanmarg, he dabbled in football and other field sports too. But the snow kept calling him back. “Each time I put on the Skis and went downslope I loved the experience. I would Ski for hours non-stop. Just enjoyed the beauty of the sport,” he says.

By the time he was in his teens, he knew he wanted to excel in this sport.

He started participating in national level championships from the age of ten. By the time he was 13 he was winning medals at every championship he participated in.

Arif Khan with his father and mentor Yasin Khan

Even though he was winning medals at the national level, the turning point came in 2008 when he was selected for the Asian Junior Alpine Ski Championship in China.

“It was my performance at the Boudalik Ski Resort in China that finally woke me up. I knew what I wanted to do – I wanted to turn professional,” he says brimming with confidence.

Thereafter, started his travels to European countries largely funded by his father’s income from the rental shop. Going to countries like Switzerland, Austria and training with the best Skiers of the world and doing the sport under world-class coaches helped him mature as a player and allowed him to dream big.

Funding was tough in the initial years. Winter sports was seen more as a recreation – where tourists enjoyed sliding down slopes for fun.

“I wanted to change this perception about winter sports. That is why I was serious about my training,” he says.

Whenever he fell short of funds he would double up as an instructor and coach to earn some money.

Such was the condition that he had to miss participating in the 2018 winter Olympics as he could not arrange the necessary funds for his last qualifying event in Switzerland.

“I was disappointed. But I didn’t let the disappointment seep into me.”

Arif Khan leading the Indian contingent at the Beijing Winter Olympics 

He trained harder, worked harder to convince sponsors and the government. He looked promising and the avenues opened. Once he showed his mettle as the only Indian to have qualified for two events (Slalom* and Giant Slalom*) at the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, people have started taking notice.

“It was my dream to be at the Olympics. Holding the national flag at the opening ceremony was the culmination of years of toil for me,” says Arif.

He spends close to eight months sking with the best skiers on the best slopes in the world. In between he is finding time to get married in September.“But that wont stop me from wearing my skis,” he laughs.

Arif Khan wanted people to look at the Sking as more than just recreation in India. With his qualification for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2002, he surely has made people to sit and take notice.

“I wanted to introduce the world to snow in India. I have done that successfully. But this just half the job done. My dream now is to do well at the next winter Olympics in Italy four years from now,” he says before rushing off to make his wedding arrangements.

Also Read: Olympian Arif Khan says he has to be on snow 65 days a year

(*Slalom: An Alpine sking event that is done between poles with flags called gates. They are arranged in a width of between 4 mts to 6 mts. It is the shortest of the five Alpine sking events. Competitors have to ski downhill in a vertical descent of 180 mts 220 mts for men and 140 mts and 180 mts for women. Skiers have to pass through two courses and the fastest skier is the winner. In Giant Slalom, the gates are spaced farther apart from each other than in Slalom sking.)