New Delhi, Feb 23 (.) On a wind-carved ridge above Gulmarg, three young alpine skiers are carving more than lines into the snow. They are shaping ambition, guided by the man who first showed the country that the Winter Olympics need not be a distant dream.
Sahil Thakur, Syed Zain, and Faizan Ahmad Lone come from different geographies, Manali’s steep, forested slopes and Kashmir’s powder-laden fields, but they share a common mentor in Mohammad Arif Khan, the first Indian to represent the country twice at the Winter Olympics. Under his watch, the trio recently trained in Italy’s Sudtirol region, immersing themselves in the technical precision and competitive culture that define Europe’s alpine circuit.
For 19-year-old Sahil, skiing runs in the family. Raised in Manali, he grew up in a household where snow is both livelihood and legacy. His father, Devi Chand, and brothers, Rajneesh and Rahul, are all skiers. The exposure in Italy, however, marked a turning point.
“When I returned, I could feel the difference,” says Sahil. “The coaching, the attention to technique, it changes how you see the mountain.”
A national gold and silver medallist and a participant at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Sahil has now fixed his sights firmly on the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, a goal he pursues with quiet certainty.
If Sahil’s journey feels inherited, 16-year-old Zain’s has been forged through aspiration. Raised in Humhama on the outskirts of Srinagar, he entered a sport still largely associated with Europe. His breakthrough came early: two gold medals in Slalom and Giant Slalom at the inaugural Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) in 2020, followed by two silvers at the Junior Nationals in 2022.
“Skiing is a European sport,” Zain said. “But Olympians like Arif Khan showed us it can belong to India too.”
Zain’s foundation was built at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering in Gulmarg and refined under Khan’s mentorship. Training alongside 35 to 40 Indian athletes in Italy broadened his perspective, exposing him to the demands of elite competition. He also credits six-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan as an enduring inspiration within India’s winter sports ecosystem.
Faizan’s path has been shaped as much by resilience as talent. The 19-year-old, a five-time national gold medallist and four-time Khelo India champion, understands the financial realities of an equipment-heavy sport.
“Skiing is expensive,” he says. “Arif didn’t just coach me, he helped me secure sponsorship. That allowed me to compete internationally.”
Faizan has since represented India at the 2025 Winter Asian Games in Harbin and competed in FIS races across Dubai and Kazakhstan.
There is also a quieter symbol of belief. Each skier’s helmet bears the signature of Italian Olympic champion Federica Brignone.
“Her signature reminds us why we do this,” they say. “It keeps us focused. It keeps us dreaming.”
On Gulmarg’s slopes, amid thin mountain air and unforgiving gradients, Sahil, Zain, and Faizan are no longer merely trainees. They represent a generation daring to expand India’s winter horizons, one descent at a time.
. TIB VAN .