New Delhi: “It was always my goal to do something for the people Kashmir Who can inspire them, can make a difference in their lives. The way Shah Faesal’s success influenced the youth here valley Back in 2010,” Skier Arif Mohammad Khan Told TOI.
Arif is the latest sports talent from the Valley who has made the nation proud by becoming the first Indian athlete to directly qualify for two different Winter Olympics events. The 31-year-old from Baramulla district will represent India in the men’s giant slalom and slalom events at the Beijing Winter Games to be held from February 4-20. he earned olympics Quota places in giant slalom at an International Ski Federation (FIS) event in Kolasin, Montenegro on 29 December after qualifying in slalom in Dubai a month earlier.
Arif is back in India from Dubai on a three-day trip after his 2021 training and traveling to Europe to fulfill his long-standing dream of qualifying for the Olympics. Before leaving for his historic visit to Beijing, arif There is a message to share with the Kashmiri youth when he visits his hometown – ‘If I can do it, so can you’.
Aarif khan. (AFP photo)
“It was always my goal (to break this image of Kashmiri youth as stone pelters or protesters). I always wanted to do something that would inspire my people, the way they live or think. In Kashmir , We always need someone (as a youth icon) to enlighten the young mind. I still miss those days in 2010, we had Shah Faesal (in Indian Civil Services exam across the country) The first to rise to the top was Kashmiri), who came from nowhere and inspired an entire generation of young minds. Later, in the later years, the youth of the valley followed him in the field of education. In cricket too, our there were some people around who got the contract IPL Went to play for teams or the Indian team,” Arif said.
“But, when you talk about the Olympics, we were far behind. Today, as things stand, I think Kashmir is very much involved in my success. The message is clear that there is talent in the Valley, especially in sports. I. Qualifying for Olympics has given hope to Kashmiri youth to achieve something good in life. Generally, we want to send a message of happiness that there is a lot of talent in this field,” he said.
Aarif khan. (AFP photo)
Arif told that to fulfill his dream of Olympics, he has put his wedding plans on hold. “It’s kind of become the talk of the town. I could have got married last year in August-September with all the arrangements. But it took me away from my training and the ultimate goal of qualifying for the Games. I talked to me. to happen and inform her about my decision. She supported my decision. She said, ‘I will wait for you. You have to go for your dream first’. It was a bit difficult to convince the family but she understood me The story and the sacrifices that I have made and stand with me.”
Very few would know that Arif could not compete in 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics After missing out on making arrangements for Rs 1.5 lakh for his travel to the final qualification event in Switzerland. “We had really bad years for tourism in the Valley between 2016 and 2018. My family couldn’t save enough for my training and travel. Part of my training and travel is funded by the money we spend on our tours Earn from business (in Gulmarg) The second reason was the lack of support from the national federation (Winter Games Federation of India) and the corporate sector. That’s why I missed the Olympics due to lack of money.”
Aarif khan. (AFP photo)
Talking about the difficulty faced by him to compete in international events in the time of COVID-19, Arif said that he has been tested 193 times across the world for RT-PCR. “I’m keeping a count. I write it every time. It’s history, so you have to write it down.”
Arif has set a real goal for himself in sports. He wants to be among the top-30 of the world during his competition days which are 13 and 16 February.
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