Government support brings warmth to Indian camp ahead of Asian Winter Games in China

The Indian camp will surely feel the warmth of ample support from the sports ministry ahead of the ninth edition of the Asian Winter Games scheduled to be held in the Chinese city of Harbin from February 7 to 14.

The 70-member Indian team is expected to go for a fortnight international exposure camp in Italy to prepare for the Asian Winter Games in China, one of the officials familiar with the development told Mykhel.

Alpine skiing, Nordic, and snowboarding are some of the disciplines Indian players will compete in China. The government has also agreed in principle to bear the travel expenses of the Indian team bound for the Asian Winter Games.

"It's good news that the government will support players bound for the ninth edition of Asian Winter Games to be held in China in February," Ajay Bhatt, skiing coach from Joshimath in Uttarakhand said. "in previous editions, the players had to make their own arrangements and pay for air tickets."

Bhatt too had traveled to Japan as the Indian team coach for the eighth edition of the Asian Winter Games. He had to pay for his air tickets. "I believe this is for the first time in the history of winter sports in India that the national team will go for a collective national camp in Europe," Bhatt added.

At the previous Asian Winter Games India had fielded less than 30 members. This time the government will fund the tour and more players will get international exposure.

Ski and Snowboard India affiliated with the International Ski Federation (FIS) and overseeing winter sports in the country was suspended in 2023 by the world governing body (FIS) for lack of good governance and transparency.

To streamline the system, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) constituted a three-member Ad-hoc panel whose chairman was six-time Winter Games Olympian and Arjuna Awardee, Shiva Keshavan.

International skiers from Jammu and Kashmir Arif Khan and TN Bhavani of Karnataka are the other two members of the panel. While, Jelena Dojcinovic from the FIS is an independent observer to support the Ad-hoc panel.

Keshavan confirmed that the Indian team bound for the ninth Asian Winter Games in China will get international exposure. "The Ad-hoc panel is working to streamline the system," Keshavan added. "New constitution of Ski and Snowboard India will be in place shortly."

The 2023 election of the office bearers of the Ski and Snowboard India were declared null and void allegedly due to bogus voting. "Financial irregularities and infighting between the officials of Ski and Snowboard India were also among key issues that forced FIS to suspend the Indian body," an official familiar with the development said.