Ishfaq-ul-Hassan
SRINAGAR: A two-and-half-year-old kid set tongues wagging when he skied like a professional without any help from the coaching staff in Gulmarg. That too without any support or poles and more like a snowboarder.
Abdullah Ibn Umar surprised his instructor and other coaching staff when he wore the ski equipment and slid from the slopes like a professional and without a care in the world.
It was for the first time when Abdullah was skiing in Gulmarg. He had neither received any training nor was he coached before.
People could not resist but to film the toddler skiing like a pro. A video of Abdullah has now gone viral with people posting heart emojis to express their love for the whizkid.In the background of the video, many people can be heard shouting ‘very good’ and cheering for the kid.
“Initially after putting on the ski shoe he was a bit uneasy and wanted to take out the gear. After few runs and falls he enjoyed,” said Umar Meraj, father of Abdullah.
In the video the wonder kid can be skiing and enjoying the run without any fear. At one point he also puts his hands in his jacket and continues to ski even as he gathers pace.
Umar said he wants to prepare Abdullah for the Olympics. “I want him and his siblings to compete in world championships. I am hopeful and pray that my dream will be a reality one day- Insha-Allah! It’s a great sport. We don’t have much here as compared to other parts of the world. Indeed we lack the basic ski infrastructure but one has to opt for what is avail,” he said.
Hundreds of students are currently in Gulmarg participating in skiing training camps. Several schools have also started skiing camps to train students. Jammu and Kashmir government too has organized winter camps for kids.
Last month, noted Alpine skier Arif Khan qualified for Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing
Hailing from Hajibal of the Tangmarg area, the 30-year-old has represented the country in World Championship four times. Initially, Arif also trained in Gulmarg. Later he traveled to Europe for advanced training.
Last time Arif had got 140 points from five slalom races for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang. He was on track after good performances in Turkey, Bulgaria, Norway, and Sweden.
