It’s a challenging task to manage resources & book a Winter Olympic Games berth: Indian skier Mohammad Arif Khan

For India’s international Alpine skier Mohammad Arif Khan, the last 10 months have been all about managing resources to grind on the Alpine slopes of Europe. His efforts were rewarded with a ticket to the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, where he will compete in slalom and giant slalom events.

The 31-year-old runs a winter sports academy in Gulmarg, Kashmir. Khan is the only Indian athlete to have qualified for the Winter Olympic Games, starting February 4.

“I managed all my resources," the elated skier told Sportskeeda over the phone from Gulmarg. "It enabled me to prepare my plans as I never wanted to miss the Winter Olympic Games this time."

Four years ago, Khan missed the 2018 Winter Olympic Games as he couldn’t qualify. In 2021, he devoted more than 10 months to grinding on the Alpine slopes of Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

Apart from the hard work that he put in, what were the other factors that determined Khan’s chances of making the cut for the quadrennial Winter Games? According to him, a minimum of Rs 60 lakh is needed to practice and compete in the right environment to prepare for the qualifying events of the Winter Games.

“Right approach to competition and training was an important factor," he revealed. "Funds and good coaching were other aspects of training that enabled me to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics."

Khan believes that even extensive financial resources sometimes don’t guarantee a sureshot berth if other logistics, including training on professional lines, are not incorporated into the program.

“In India an athlete gets funding only when he/she qualifies for a big event like the Winter Olympic Games but not during the initial stages when the planning starts,” he pointed out.

The sports ministry under its Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) sanctioned Rs 17.46 lakh for Khan’s training and equipment. The government sanctioned funds after he qualified for the Winter Olympics.

Missing out on 2018 Winter Olympics qualification was a big learning lesson for Mohammad Arif Khan

Four years ago when Khan couldn’t achieve qualification for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games held in Pyeongchang, Korea, he was very upset.

“It was a big learning lesson for me," he explained. "But I don’t want to discuss missing the 2018 Winter Games due to the internal politics."

For the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Khan made his plans well in advance and was fortunate enough to get private sponsorship (JSW Group) and funds from the Jammu & Kashmir government.

“I thank God for the timely financial support I received," said Khan. "I also managed some funds from my family to stay on course to be a successful athlete."

To achieve his goal of earning a berth for Beijing Winter Games, Khan was away from home in Europe for at least 10 months in 2021. During the international exposure-cum-competition tour, he took part in several races in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and even Dubai.

Last week Khan returned home to Gulmarg. Accompanied by his Indian coach Ludhar Thakur, the duo will fly to China this weekend.

“It’s a challenging task in India to be a successful skier," he said. "I’m happy that I have qualified for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games."