Beijing: Indian Alpine skier Mohammed Arif held the national flag in the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics at the Birds Nest Stadium Beijing on Friday. Arif being the sole athlete from India took pride in walking past during the opening ceremony.
India was the 23rd nation in the Parade of Nations. Mohammed Arif Khan native of Jammu Kashmir directly qualified for two different events at a single edition of the Winter Games. He will be competing in the giant Salom event on February 13 and salom on February 16th.
Having participated 127 times in international championships, Khan credits his resilience in life to the Indian Army. Khan spent time till high school in an Army school in Tungmarg, Kashmir. “I’m an Army school student. The basic discipline skills and mental strength I have, are all due to the physical coaches from the Indian Army, who use to train us at school. They trained us so well, physically and mentally, that it actually built me as an athlete in life. They taught me how to dedicate myself to the nation and the significance of making one’s country proud. I learned courage and resilience from observing the Indian Army,” he says.