Manali girl gets India's first Skiing medal | Fusion - WeRIndia

The Winter Olympics of 2018 are happening next month, and countries all around the world are preparing for the global competition. India, while mostly being known for its warmer jungles, hosts the tallest mountain range in the world: the Himalaya Mountains.

However, winter sports are unfamiliar to many Indians for a number of reasons. Only a very small portion of India consists of the Himalayas, while the rest of the nation sees little to no effect of winter all year round.

Additionally, travelling to the Himalayas is very costly, and so is the equipment for winter sports. Quality infrastructure for winter sports, such as chairlifts and cable cars, are also lacking in availability.

However, now, a resident of the village of Burua, near Manali, has come back with India’s first ever international medal in skiing.

Despite the fact that government bodies provide very little support to winter sport athletes, 21-year-old Aanchal Thakur has managed to win the bronze medal in the Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup in Erzurum, Turkey.

She had been training hard for this event for months, and the training has finally paid off. She has earned a bronze medal in the slalom race category.

Aanchal had performed well during the entire race, starting well and taking a good lead in the beginning, which led to her finishing in third place.

Aanchal’s father is Roshan Thakur, the secretary-general of the Winter Games Federation of India. Roshan criticizes the lack of both financial and infrastructural support from the government.

Aanchal’s journey to her bronze medal at the Apline Ejder 3200 Cup was mostly financed by him, and the rest was financed by the FIS.

However, he hopes that Aanchal’s bronze medal in skiing will attract the attention of the central government and prompt them to put more money into the Indian winter sport scene.

Additionally, if Aanchal’s medal earns her a place at the 2018 Winter Olympics, India may stand a chance at earning a medal there as well.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia, Yourstory