Srinagar : In what is being hailed as a landmark moment for Indian winter sports, Zubair Ahmad Lone, the snowboarder from Qazipora Tangmarg in Jammu & Kashmir’s Baramulla district, has become the first Indian ever to compete at the FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup. The historic debut takes place on December 7, 2025, at the Mylin Ski Resort in China.
For Zubair, the road to this moment has been nothing short of extraordinary. He began snowboarding as a child — learning to ski around the slopes of Gulmarg — and slowly built a career against the odds. Over the years, he clinched multiple medals at national and state-level championships, including gold medals in Slalom and Giant Slalom in Manali (2016) and a top finish at the Khelo India Winter Games in 2021–22.
But Zubair’s ambitions and achievements did not end with national dominance. In 2025 he stepped onto the international stage in a big way — securing India’s first-ever silver medal in a FIS Alpine Snowboard race, held in Serbia, after narrowly missing gold by just 0.83 seconds.
With this World Cup appearance, Zubair not only carries the hopes of his home region but also shoulders the aspirations of hundreds of young winter-sports enthusiasts across India. Officials, local residents of Tangmarg, and winter-sports fans from across the nation have congratulated him, expressing hope that his participation will open new doors for Indian athletes in snowboarding and alpine sports.
In Zubair’s own words, reaching the World Cup is more than personal — it’s a breakthrough for a country where winter sports struggle for visibility and resources. His journey from Gulmarg’s slopes to the global snowboarding circuit exemplifies grit, passion, and the potential of Indian winter sports to rise on the world stage.