Olympic-bound Kashmiri Skier Arif selected in TOPS, granted ₹17.46 lakh to train in Europe

Arif Khan, the Kashmiri Alpine skier, who is competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, has been awarded Rs 17.46 lakhs in funding for his training in Europe after being accepted into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group, the Sports Ministry announced on January 7. Khan, 31, is the first Indian athlete to qualify for two sports in the Winter Olympic Games, which beginning from February 4 in Beijing. Khan will compete in slalom and giant slalom.

"The Sports Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has approved the inclusion of Alpine Skiing athlete Md Arif Khan in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group, until the Winter Olympics, scheduled this February in Beijing, China," the Ministry said in a statement.

The statement further added that an amount of Rs 17.46 lakh has also been approved under TOPS for training in Europe and equipment procurement ahead of the major event in China. Khan is currently training in Austria, accompanied by his coach and physiotherapist. Khan's European training camp, which began after his qualification for the Winter Olympics, was permitted by the MOC for a total of 35 days.

Khan secured quota in giant slalom in competition in Montenegro

Khan secured the quota in giant slalom in a competition in Montenegro in December last year, just a month after claiming his quota in alpine skiing slalom in an Olympic qualifier in Dubai. The skier, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, holds the distinction of becoming the first Indian to gain direct quota slots in two different Winter Olympics events.

At the 2011 South Asian Winter Games in Uttarakhand, the Gulmarg-based athlete won two gold medals in the Slalom and Giant Slalom categories. While India had two athletes compete in the 2018 Winter Games, Jagdish Singh (cross country skiing) and Shiva Keshavan (luge), Khan is the only one who has qualified for the 2022 Winter Games so far.

Image: Twitter/JSWsports