Meet the skier flying the flag for 1.4 Billion Indians at the Winter Olympics

SCENES shines a spotlight on youth around the world that are breaking down barriers and creating change. The character-driven short films will inspire and amaze, as these young change-makers tell their remarkable stories.

Arif Khan is an alpine skier from India. He made his nation proud by becoming the first Indian athlete to qualify for two different events at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. When he flew his country's flag at the Olympic opening ceremony, he knew he had achieved something greater than his dreams.

Arif's father, Yaseen, runs a ski shop in Gulmarg, one of Kashmir's largest and highest ski resorts. A part of the western Himalayas, on the Pir Panjal Range, the town is famous for its breathtaking views and perfect powder snow.

When Arif was four years old, Yaseen encouraged his son to take up the sport. Over the years, they trained diligently on the snowy slopes of Gulmarg, dedicating themselves to making it a daily activity in Arif's life.

As a ten-year-old, Arif began competing in the sport. By the age of 12, he had won his first national slalom championship and by 16, he made his international debut at a junior event in Japan. Since then, he has participated in more than 130 international events.

After realising that skiing was much more than a hobby, Arif moved to Switzerland in 2008 to pursue his dream of representing India at the Winter Olympics. While he was there, he trained at world-class European facilities.

"To compete at a world (level), I had to always look at the European countries for training and use that level of infrastructure and the coaches," says Arif.

Skiing is an expensive sport. Most of Arif's funding came from his father's ski shop and his work as an instructor to fund his passion.

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