Khelo India Winter Games 2026: Sahil, Zain and Faizan Carry India’s Alpine Hopes Under Arif Khan’s Watchful Eye

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Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir), Feb 23: On a wind-carved ridge above Gulmarg, where the snow gleams with the promise of ambition, three young Indian alpine skiers are carving more than lines into ice. They are carving a future.

Sahil Thakur, Syed Zain and Faizan Ahmad Lone may come from different corners of the Himalayas, but they share a single mentor and a singular dream. What binds them is not geography - Manali's towering slopes and Kashmir's powder fields could not be more distinct - but belief, shaped under the watchful eye of Mohammad Arif Khan, the first Indian to represent the country twice at the Winter Olympics.

Under Khan's guidance, the trio recently trained in Italy's Sudtirol region, immersing themselves in the technical rigour and competitive mindset that define Europe's alpine elite. It was an education not just in speed, but in precision and poise.

Sahil Thakur: Skiing in the Blood

For 19-year-old Sahil Thakur, skiing is both inheritance and instinct. Raised in Manali in a family where snow is playground and profession - his father Devi Chand and brothers Rajneesh and Rahul are all skiers - the mountains were never distant.

A national gold and silver medallist, Sahil represented India at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea. The Italy camp, he says, transformed his understanding of the sport.

"When I returned, I could feel the difference. The coaching, the attention to technique - it changes how you see the mountain."

His horizon is already fixed: the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. For Sahil, the ambition feels less like a dream and more like destiny.

Syed Zain: Carving His Own Path

If Sahil's story is rooted in lineage, 16-year-old Syed Zain's rise is built on aspiration.

Raised in Humhama on Srinagar's outskirts, far from Europe's alpine epicentres, Zain announced himself at the inaugural Khelo India Winter Games in 2020 with gold medals in Slalom and Giant Slalom. Two silvers at the Junior Nationals in 2022 followed.

"Skiing is a European sport," Zain says. "But Olympians like Arif Khan showed us it can belong to India too." His foundation was laid at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering in Gulmarg and refined through Khan's mentorship. Training alongside 35 to 40 Indian athletes in Italy only strengthened his belief that India can compete on alpine skiing's biggest stages.

Zain also acknowledges the influence of Shiva Keshavan, the six-time Olympian whose legacy continues to anchor India's winter sports ecosystem.

Faizan Ahmad Lone: Powered by Perseverance

Faizan Ahmad Lone's journey is one of perseverance sharpened by opportunity.

A five-time national gold medallist and four-time Khelo India champion, the 19-year-old understands the realities of pursuing an expensive sport in a country still building its winter sports framework.

"Skiing is expensive. Arif didn't just coach me - he helped me secure sponsorship. That allowed me to compete internationally."

Faizan has since represented India at the Winter Asian Games in Harbin, China, and featured in FIS races across Dubai and Kazakhstan - each start another step in India's gradual ascent toward alpine relevance.

Inked Inspiration

Beyond medals and milestones, there is a quieter symbol of their shared journey. Each of their helmets bears the signature of Federica Brignone, the Italian Olympic champion and one of modern alpine skiing's greats.

It is ink on plastic, but it carries the weight of possibility. "Her signature reminds us why we do this. It keeps us focused. It keeps us dreaming."

On Gulmarg's slopes, where the cold air sharpens resolve and every descent demands courage, Sahil, Zain and Faizan are no longer just athletes in training. They are standard-bearers of a nation still learning to believe in winter.

Somewhere between gravity and glory, they are finding their way down the mountain - and toward history.