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 ...