Jammu
Even after winning a Gold medal in his maiden outing in the Khelo India Winter Games at Gulmarg, Shahid Ahmad Chachi is not sitting idle on his laurels and newfound stardom.
When the calendar of the Khelo India Winter Games was released this year, Shahid, who started skiing five years ago, was directed by his coach to participate in the games.
Given an opportunity, the young talent scaled the icy heights by winning the first Gold medal for Jammu & Kashmir in the 4th Khelo India Winter Games at Gulmarg.
He won the hearts of fans and sports lovers with a stellar performance in Vertical Ski Mountaineering at Kangdoori when he mounted the distance taking 35 minutes 29 seconds and earning the title by defeating Mayank Dimri with a marginal duration of 41 seconds.
Interestingly, before standing atop the podium, Shahid had never participated in any of the national-level sporting events. But in his maiden outing itself, the Gold medal was his 3rd medal in the Khelo India Winter Games after Silver in Sprint and a shared bronze in Men’s Relay of Skiing Mountaineering with a group of other three colleagues including Mehraj ud Din Bhat, Ghulam Mohammad and Sheikh Mohsin.
The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 was conducted in two phases — the first from February 2-6 in Leh, Ladakh and the second from February 21-25 in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir.
These days, Shahid is working hard to prepare for the upcoming National Skiing Championship to be organized in Auli. His daily routine starts at 9 in the morning and ends after he finishes his practice around 4 pm.
Speaking to The Indian Tribal over the telephone from the practice range, Shahid said, “My day starts at 9 am and I keep moving up and down the snow-clad slopes in the winter wonderland for about six hours.”
“I am training hard to ensure good performance in the upcoming National Skiing Championship,” he maintained. Among the long-term goals, Shahid has already set his eyes on earning a berth for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Talking about his long journey, Shahid informed, the members of the local skiing club initially spotted him. “I was later groomed by my coach Mohd Anees Bhat,” he said.
When asked about his fitness regime to stay fit for the winter sports, Shahid said: “We have been brought up here on the icy peaks. “I love spending time in the high hills during training. I never feel scared. I always try to give my best and I am chasing my dream of playing for my country in international championships”.
He said, “I am one of five siblings and the sole breadwinner of the family. My father is a senior citizen and stays at home. My elder brother is studying in a ‘madrasa’ to complete his religious teaching. One of my sisters is married and the younger ones are still studying.” As for him, he studied up to Class 10th and later started training.
Referring to the training facilities Shahid said, “We have great facilities here. To excel in international events, we need to focus on improving our technique”.
He also invited adventure sports lovers to explore the winter adventure at Gulmarg.
