The Women Skiers

Every winter when snowfall starts in Gulmarg, Sabiya Nabi, 24, is ready to don the ski suit and sets for the slopes of Gulmarg. She dangles like a leaf from the Affarwat hills almost 14,000 feet high to the low slopes of Gulmarg. Sabiya is a professional woman skier.
Her skiing journeystarted when she was in class 5. She did her basic skiing course in the year 2009; then continued with intermediate and advanced courses in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Once she got the skills and grip on the snow-clad slopes of Gulmarg, she started participating in many regional events like Haws Cup, and Hoteliers Cup wherein she won medals.
“In 2012, I participated in the first National event held at Gulmarg in which I won double gold medals in Slalom and Giant Slalom events. Also, I participated in senior nationals in 2014 held in Auli, Uttarakhand where I got a bronze medal,” Sabiya said.
So far Sabiya played eight nationals at different places including Manali, Auli in Uttarakhand and Gulmarg and has been a consistent gold medallist for J&K.
In 2018, finally, Sabiya’s hard work paid off, and she was called for the international event. She represented India in the mountains of Iran for the 27th Asian Alpine Ski Championship. She stood 19th there.
Also, in March-2020, she participated in the first-ever Khelo India event and got two gold medals there.
What fascinated her to be a ski player, credits this to her father who was posted at Gulmarg in the JK Forest Department. “He enrolled me for the basic course with the Department of Youth Service and Sports.”
Like other successful athletes, Sabiya too had her fair share of struggles and hardships. She said that it is not easy for a woman athlete to be in a male-dominated game.
While detailing why there are not many girls in this game, she said that it is because of the lack of facilities and because of this game being expensive. She said that the equipment is costly and even if someone arranges, still he has to pay Rs 1,200 per day which is not affordable for everyone. She believes that the department should press in and should make it easy and accessible for all those who want to take part in it.
Sabiya recently was a female trainer at one of the skiing centres at Gulmarg. She hopes that she would take her passion forward and would represent the country again.
Ahana Hamid Khan, 24, a resident of Barbar Shah, Srinagar is another skier whose heart beats for the game. She is immersed in the sport so much that most of the time she stays in her ski gears to cross the slaloms.
Like Sabiya, Ahana too did her basic with the Department of Youth Service and Sports in the year 2008. Then she did her intermediate, and advanced courses in 2009 and 2010 respectively with a Grade “A.”
Once she acquired the set of skills, Ahana participated in the inter-college skiing championship (advance category) in 2019 and bagged first place. She also participated in the 1st Khelo India National Winter Games Alpine Skiing Championship Slalom and Giant Slalom (GS) in 2020.
“I was just 11 years old when I started skiing for the first time. It felt like just love at first sight and since then I am doing skiing.”
Sharing her experience, she said that initially, it was tough for her to pick up skies on her shoulder and walk uphill. But slowly and steadily she kept on moving and increased her stamina. “Skiing helps you to manage the fear inside you by taking challenges,” said Ahana.
Then again, she participated in the 2nd khelo India National Winter Games Alpine Skiing Championship Slalom & Giant Slalom in March 2021.
“I feel that Gulmarg has a huge potential and needs to be utilised well so that our players can be prepared for big events like the Olympics. The artificial slopes must be made so that all season activity could be held and more participants can participate in it,” she said.
Samia Shabir, 22, is another skier from Tangmarg area of the Baramulla district. Samia was just 10 years old when she started visiting Gulmarg, a nearby place to her home.
Her tryst with the snow is unique. Whenever it snows, she hardly stays in her home but can be seen on the slopes of Gulmarg wearing a ski suit and reflector glasses.
Samia belongs to a family of professional skiers. What prompted Samia to be a skier was her routine outings with her father to Gulmarg. As a kid, she was watching her father skiing on the slopes. This somehow intrigued her to be a skier.
In 2017, Samia did her basic with the Department of Youth Service and Sports, and then in the later years, she did her intermediate and advanced levels with the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM).
“I used to come with my father to Gulmarg. I insisted to him that I should also do skiing. I participated in the district tournament where I got silver and gold.”
Samia said that parents should allow their children, especially girls to go skiing. “It is safe and is just like any other game.”