Arif gets ready for history at Games

New Delhi, February 12

Indian skier Arif Khan, who will create history tomorrow when he takes part in the men’s giant slalom event of the Beijing Winter Olympics, says he knew 10 years ago that he would one day represent the country in the global showpiece.

Hailing from a village in Kashmir’s Baramulla district, one of the most frequented tourist spots of the valley, Khan will become the first Indian to compete in two events in a Winter Olympics – in the men’s slalom and giant slalom. His slalom event will be held on February 16.

Taking to skiing seemed natural as his father Yasin owns a ski equipment shop at Gulmarg, which is near his village. He was introduced to the sport at the age of four by Yasin, who had made a small ski slope just outside the shop. Khan began competitive skiing when he was 10 and at 12, he won a gold medal in slalom at the National Championships. In 2011, Khan won two gold medals — in slalom and giant slalom — at the South Asian Winter Games in Dehradun and Auli.

“So, I was the fastest skier in India by then. After the gold medals, I knew that I will one day represent the country in Winter Olympics, it was going to be only a matter of time,” Khan said from the Games Village in Beijing. —