6 Olympians Officiating, Coaching Athletes At Winter Games In Gulmarg
GULMARG: With over 600 athletes and officials participating in the 2024 Khelo India Winter Games, six Olympians are officiating the event, training the athletes and providing technical guidance to the organisers.
Six times Winter Olympian in Luge, Sheva Keshavan, who is also Indian Olympic Association Adhoc Committee chairman of Ski & Snowboarding, has been too busy with the entrusted assignments. He believes that Gulmarg has the potential to become destination of international sports considering the natural facilities.
“This place can become the Launchpad of the country to nurture the potential of the players provided infrastructure augmentation,” said Sheva.
Arif Khan, a local icon who represented India in the previous winter Olympics and shall be representing the country again in 2026 winter Olympics has similar views.
With an experience amassed from about 140 competitions from national to international level, Arif started his career as sportsperson from 1996 while he played first international in 2005 under the mentorship of his father.
Interested in Giant Slalom, the speedster gets training from different European countries to work on the technicalities and enhance speed to clinch gold in next Winter Olympics. Khan nourishes two dreams simultaneously, an Olympic medal for the country and grooming local talent and producing the best athletes for the country.
On the field of action Arif, has been tutoring the athletes coming from different states.
1992 winter Olympian, Nanak Chand Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, presently acting as a coach for ITBP was elated as his players are clinching medals everyday in the KIWG.
He has participated in sports in 20 countries including Iran, Japan, Korea, China and won medals in Asian games. He too pitches for FIS certification and other interventions so that a right track and legacy in sports is developed.
Chuni Lal Thakur also from Himachal Pradesh has participated in 1992 Olympics in France and is mentoring Himachal Team of Slalom.
Like other champions, he too agrees intervention at large scale to hold international sporting events here.
Other two Olympians also expressed same views for Khelo India Winter Games.