From Valley to Italy: A dream born in snow-capped Gulmarg slaloms to 2026 Winter Games | Sport-others News

Growing up, Arif Khan, 35, says he never dreamt big. No two days looked the same, he says, so there was no “future planning”. He would go to school and immerse himself in books, but “had no vision”. He would muse about life in other parts of the world, but was hardly allowed to leave home, even as an adult.“We had to live a different life. So, our dreams were limited,” says Khan, who belongs to a village near Gulmarg.
No wonder, he is still pinching himself now. From a childhood filled with the sounds of “gunfights and bombs”, a “life of grief”, and worrying about “survival at all times”, Khan has slalomed his way into India’s Olympics hory.
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Following a series of races that concluded in Arieseni, Romania, earlier this week, the alpine skier has sealed his 2026 Winter Games berth, becoming the third athlete to represent the country at two Winter Olympics after Jeremy Bujakowski (twice, in 1964 and 1968) and Shiva Keshavan (six times from 1998 to 2018).
When the 2026 Winter Olympics begin in Milano and Cortina, Italy, next February, the 35-year-old could well be India’s sole representative, just like he was at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. “Whoever lived in the Valley wouldn’t dream of such a big dream,” he tells The Indian Express.
To understand the extent of Khan’s achievement, first, it is important to understand where he comes from — Goiwara, a tiny, sleepy village located a little over 30 minutes from Gulmarg, India’s winter sports capital. But the village wasn’t always peaceful.
Even as he chases qualification in the Giant Slalom event, which would enable him to compete in two events, Khan is already mapping his route to Milan.
“Every week, it was a different situation,” Khan says. “There were a series of violence phases, like from 2008 to 2018, it was tense. I would say it was a life that was full of grief. There were no expectations (of) what to do. The only thing you could become was a doctor or an engineer, or take the civil services exam… When you hear gunfights, when you hear bombs, what else would you think (of) but survival?”Story continues below this ad
Amidst the strife, winters would bring joy. As October would give way to November, a young Khan would peep outside his window to see if there were signs of snow. “I was always happy when November used to start,” he says, adding that it meant that he could accompany his father Yaseen to the Pir Panjal ranges.
Since the British era, Gulmarg has been where adventure seekers travel in winter to challenge the snow-covered slopes. Yaseen, who worked there as a porter and also conducted trekking tours, had set up a ski shop. When Khan was five years old, Yaseen prepared his son for his first run.
Skiing, Khan says, was the most natural choice for him — after all, there was no other sport in the vicinity and his father was already deeply involved in it. Before he was in his teens, Khan was the junior national champion in the slalom event.
“There were other kids too, but I actually could carry out this sport because I put (all) my energy into it,” Khan says. “Maybe, the others didn’t decide (to pursue) because it is also challenging physically, mentally. There are a lot of challenges in this sport.”Story continues below this ad
The biggest challenge, as he would discover years later, would be financial. Equipment recognised the international federation costs as much as Rs 12 lakh. The socks alone cost Rs 5,000, while shoes are in the range of Rs 50,000 and the helmet, approximately Rs 2.5 lakh.
Lack of funds meant that Khan missed the 2018 Winter Olympics. During the Beijing Winter Games cycle, after initial struggle, he received support from JSW Sports. “They have backed me for all my training and competitions throughout these four years. So the preparations were carried out continuously,” Khan says.
His two Olympic sojourns have been contrasting. If his road to Beijing 2022 was littered with financial challenges, the journey to Milano-Cortina started with a crash in Italy. While training for Giant Slalom, he suffered a nasty fall and landed on his lower back. “Consequently, I started developing some health issues and disc bulge problems,” he says.
Khan was holed up at the Inspire Institute of Sport, Vijayanagar, until the second week of March, getting fit for the FIS Alpine Ski Entry League in Arieseni. There, he achieved the qualification requirement of five results under 120 points to seal his second-consecutive Olympic berth.Story continues below this ad
Even as he chases qualification in the Giant Slalom event, which would enable him to compete in two events, Khan is already mapping his route to Milan.
“From July second week, I have training plans to go to the southern hemisphere, like Argentina, Chile or New Zealand, because they have winter there,” he says. “And I will stay there until the first week of October, before heading to Europe for the rest of the season.”
Khan pauses to reflect. Until a decade ago, he couldn’t even leave his village alone “because you never know what would happen”. Now, he’s travelling the world solo.
Asked what message he would give to his younger self, Khan is prompt: “Keep your thoughts strong. Don’t let people trick your mind. And if you dream of something, hold on to it.”