Skier Arif Khan led a small four-strong Indian contingent through the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday, amid a diplomatic boycott of the occasion by the nation.
The 31-year-old would be the solely Indian competitor within the Games to have certified within the slalom and big slalom occasions. India despatched a six-man squad together with a coach, a technician and a workforce supervisor to the Games.
Arif is the primary Indian to qualify in two occasions of the identical version of the Games and their occasions shall be held on February 13 and 16.
#Aarif khan, the one athlete to symbolize India #beijing2022Hoisting the tricolor on the opening ceremony.
The 31-year-old alpine skier will compete within the slalom and big slalom occasions on February 13 and 16. pic.twitter.com/dZKEOZO0Lg
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) 4 February 2022
India was the twenty third contingent to run through the grand ceremony on the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium as China welcomed athletes from 84 nations within the Xinjiang area amid diplomatic boycotts by highly effective nations such because the United States and Britain over their alleged human rights violations.
India introduced a diplomatic boycott of the Games after China fielded Qi Faibao, the regimental commander of the People’s Liberation Army, who was injured through the 2020 navy face-off with Indian troopers within the Galwan Valley in jap Ladakh. torch relay.
India stated China’s transfer was “regrettable” and has chosen to “politicize” the Olympics.
Born in Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Arif began snowboarding very early in his life and gained his first nationwide slalom championship on the age of simply 12.
He later gained two gold medals within the slalom and big slalom occasions of the 2011 South Asian Winter Games.
He has additionally participated in each the editions of Khelo India Winter Games held in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir.
Arif’s inspiration was his father Yasin Khan, who owns a ski tools store in Gulmarg, a preferred vacationer vacation spot in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, India’s Winter Olympic campaigns have been recognized with one man – veteran luge athlete Shiv Keshavan, who represented the nation in six editions of the mega-event.
The 40-year-old from Manali, Himachal Pradesh has now taken up the function of selling winter sports activities in India.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
