Winter Olympics opening ceremony: Lone Indian athlete Arif Khan carries the tricolour

Skier Arif Khan led a small four-strong Indian contingent throughout the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Friday amid a diplomatic boycott of the occasion by the nation.
The 31-year-old Arif would be the lone Indian competitor on the Games, having certified in Slalom and Giant Slalom occasions. India despatched a six-member contingent to the Games together with a coach, a technician and a crew supervisor.
Arif is the primary Indian to safe qualification in two occasions of the identical version of the Games and his competitions are slated for February 13 and 16.

#ArifKhan, the one athlete representing India at #Beijing2022, carries the tricolor excessive on the opening ceremony.
The 31-year-old Alpine skier will compete within the Slalom and Giant Slalom occasions scheduled to happen on February 13 and 16 pic.twitter.com/dZKEOZO0Lg
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) February 4, 2022
India was the twenty third contingent to stroll in throughout the grand ceremony on the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium as China welcomed athletes from 84 nations amid a diplomatic boycott by highly effective nations such because the USA and Britain over its alleged human rights violations within the Xinjiang area.
India introduced a diplomatic boycott of the Games after China fielded Qi Fabao, the regimental commander of the People’s Liberation Army, who was injured throughout the 2020 navy face-off with Indian troopers within the Galwan Valley in jap Ladakh, as a torchbearer for the occasion’s Torch Relay.
India mentioned China’s transfer was “regrettable” and it has chosen to “politicise” the Olympics.

Born in Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Arif took up snowboarding fairly early in life, profitable his first nationwide slalom championship on the age of simply 12.
He later went on to win two gold medals within the Slalom and Giant Slalom occasions of the South Asian Winter Games in 2011.
He has additionally participated in each the editions of the Khelo India Winter Games held in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir.
Arif’s inspiration was his father Yasin Khan, who owns a ski tools store in Gulmarg, a preferred vacationer vacation spot in Jammu and Kashmir.

Previously, India’s Winter Olympics campaigns have been recognized with one man — veteran luge athlete Shiva Keshavan, who represented the nation in six editions of the mega-event.
The 40-year-old from Manali, Himachal Pradesh has now taken up the position of selling winter sports activities in India.