Khelo India Games scores a perfect 10 with guidance from 6 Olympians

Gulmarg, Feb 23:  With over 600 players and officials participating in the Khelo India Winter Games, what catches the bullseye are the six Olympians officiating the event, training the athletes and providing technical guidance to the organisers.

The engagement of Olympians having enormous experience augmented the importance of the 4th Edition of the Khelo Indian Winter Games.

Six times Winter Olympian in Luge, Sheva Keshavan, who is also the Indian Olympic Association Adhoc Committee chairman of Ski & Snowboarding has been too busy with the entrusted assignments. He believes that "Gulmarg has the potential to become the destination of international sports considering the natural facilities. ‘”

"This place can become the Launchpad of the country to nurture the potential of the players provided infrastructure augmentation”, opines Sheva whose sports career spreads over thirty years. “KIWG ignited the spirit of promising and talented youth thus ensuring this launchpad will bring us medals in future’, he believes “as there are best trainers and coaches available to athletes.”

Comparing the facility that was available to him when he got interested in winter sports and the present status of the event, Shiva sees phenomenal improvement.

Going with his entire knowledge of the snow games and physical requirements, Sheva has already escalated with the authorities showing profound interest in holding International events at Gulmarg. “One event isn’t enough for promoting sports activities, here” he says, “ instead organizers need to conduct junior level championship after KIWG”

The master planning for transformation of this destination has to be chalked out, the Olympian feels.

Sheva is not alone in dreaming about the International Games or Olympic Games to be held at the Winter Wonderland of Gulmarg.

Arif Khan, a local icon who represented India in the previous Winter Olympics and shall be representing the country again in 2026 Winter Olympics has similar views.

With experience amassed from about 140 competitions from the national to international level, Arif started his career as a sportsperson from 1996 while he played his first international in 2005 under the mentorship of his father.

Interested in Giant Slalom, the speedster gets training from different European countries to work on the technicalities and enhance speed to clinch gold in the next Winter Olympics. Khan nourishes two dreams simultaneously, an Olympic medal for the country and grooming local talent and producing the best athletes for the country.

“I spent seven to eight months on training, in preparation for the mega event”, Arif vents his schedule. “After the culmination of the big stage, I shall work to groom local talent.” He has just come back from Italy to render his services in KIWG and officiate events.