INDIAN NATIONAL WINTER GAMES

Mon, 25 Feb 2008- Created by Colonel VPSChauhan, PARAS, IndArmy, Retd


THE FIFTH NATIONAL WINTER GAMES FIASCO

(Colonel Veer Chauhan) Have you ever come across a Nation Sports event where there were no Spectators, not even one? No! Then obviously you didn't go for the fifth National Winter Games at Gulmarg, J&K; or, should I say, you weren't Invited, simply because you wouldn't fit theCategory of invitees, the J&K Tourist Department had Criteria. You had to be somebody Very Important or a family, minimum. Most of who, in any case, Couldn’t brave the altitude or the weather. After squandering cores of public money and months of Media & all kinds of publicity, the 'extra bonanza' had no spectators at all; baring the local press & Media/DD; there were total neglect from the national Media too. The sports of Snow & Ice remains as alien to our country men as it were 5 decades back; an upsurge during the late 60s, 70s & early 80s notwithstanding.
This recent one, the so-called 5Th NATIONAL... a total nosedive. So well done J & K,
thanks, the demise of the Alpine & Nordic games of Skiing in India are but just round
the corner. But no thanks. A 50 odd foreign skiers present in Gulmarg in various hotels, though due entire entrepreneurship & Enterprise of the local hoteliers, were unaware of the National. let alone be urged to witness our boy’s antics, coming from far off states/places: it would have sure made some impact of these not at all a bad performance, on them. However, they again dint fit the criteria, perhaps! How could the solicitors of the Gulmarg & JK Tourism could be so high headed and callous?
They sure could have incentive univ/college students, school children's at least to commute to witness? And the local villagers to fill the empty galleries? Although there were saving graces in the shape of the ever-enthusiastic tourist officer at
the airport welcoming delegates, offering 'Kahavas'& the tall gracious tourist officer in charge at the TRC taking care of all one’s needs. But hats off to G M Hazam, one of an all time huge skier, the in charge at Tangmarg centre, all sugar & honey, so also Farooq, the men of command & discretion's.
Had it not been for the Winter Games Federation of India, the games would have seen fewer or no Participants.
Galvanizing most ski-country & establishments that will never make the spirit die,
WGFI plowing the lonely furrow, its charismatic Secretary, RK Gupta takes the cake in
roping in hundreds of ski and other winter games enthusiasts from all across the Nation to congregate at this most dangerous winter sport venue, at considerable personal perils to themselves. RK is the one man Army with might, body, soul & wealth thrown in for WGFI; and its President Pangti , the state & all its associate units too: the enthusiasm all so infectious.
There were the old skiers: bankers, or-tho-dentists, and mil officers throwing their lots, spending their own time and money, but for what avail, they, the disillusioned lot.
Unmindful of all pitfalls Pradeep Rawat, one of the best race conductor, & the associates went ahead laying the Alpine events Courses & conducting the Slalom, the Special
Slalom & Giant Slalom races for men & women. The three young women officials were a treat to see, compiling timings, arbitrating intertwine, from side to side hail & storms, which lashed since the penultimate. The ever-charming graceful Ekmama Jr, Dar & associates were exacting in addition to thorough marshals. Some one very rightly asked me the way performance consistency could be monitored over varied Terrain & years. Good question. Not so difficult though, that's, if you maintained the two common denominators, of a race, in right perspective; the drop through fine caliber altimeter & the distance not by map, no, neither the line of sight, tape it to cater the contours, bumps & the dead grounds. Next, time Rawat.
If the Gulmarg tourism had shed their obstinacy and encompassed the great existing
winter sports acumen in the form of BR Sharma, SD Singh, Vijay Kaul, Bajwa, Asaraf Zargar, LS Mehta, K A Meer, the games could have got some sheen, some Philip; they are great skiers & great organizers, each one of them! 'Could be safely called Big Brothers of Indian Skiing: their experience & skills in staging, display, training, faultfinding could be unmatched. Why wasn't Indian Institute of Skiing & Mountaineering roped in, with all its faculties to get a better Perspective & face value to the facade, what was Khurshid Meer to do? Sit on his haunches. Shake them up. Govt of India Ministry of Tourism pulling punches from prestigious events is unpardonable. Especially when you' the real, original, McCoy: the Benefactors of all, Yes all, modern leisure Skiing in India. Mere dolling the Doe & darning the Velvet gloves have let the sport & the nation down. So with Sports Ministry; open the coffers & don't reign; sagacious, MOS reticence not understood, its sport. Winter Olympic Sports, at that.
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How could High Altitude Warfare School, the cradle of all Indian Skiing, kept aloof? Why the Chief/ the Vice/Army commander and the DGMT not the guest of honors. What Gulmarg is today is because of HAWS. They produced world class Skiers furthermore Mountaineers. The best of skiers are, even now, Haws, though earlier it were the Officers now it’s the NCOs. All erstwhile great skiers have been HAWS progeny, The Commandant the God King of Gulmarg, even the Chief & Senior Instructors Demy Gods: they were men of personality & attitude. Today they are but just part of the crowd, you have to look hard to locate them. These paper tigers lack commitment. No self-esteem no confidence has intrigued the Army's desperado's-dare place, Gen Kapoor, an adventure enthusiast himself, aught to take stock. The men of straw! Boot them out. And where was Mhd Asharaf can you match his contributions and sacrifice for Gulmarg!

However, the Races it self were sluggish & Listless. There’s seemed no improvement what so ever, even racers profile not changed much. Lacking in strength & stamina, most exhibit novice style. Look, what’s wrong with these people? You have the higher side of Olympic standard ski suits, globes, goggles & the headgear to match. Your skies, bindings are No1 racers in the world; the state of the art Ski Boots to keep your body weight on your Ball-of-the-Feet, all the time, yet you sit on your bums; 'fails my comprehension. But really, Why?
Because you have weak lateral planks, your dorsal & lower thigh
muscles inadequately exercised, compounded with the weaker lower abs, back, hips & elongated calf muscles: you losing precious fractional seconds in the inability to gather, pull & transfer your weight forward and to the outer skies. Don’t side slip the gate, idiot, turn on top & accelerate through them. It will keep you balanced & prepared for the next gate; the Moguls wont bother you either, you can still do good time at the tail end due accelerations.
One has to exercises round the year and run the mountains all the time; else don't darn the colour. And why you not riding the edges, not keeping the upper body square to down hill, not tugged your elbows to keep the forearms ever-ready to plant the poles? You fools: let fly your hand, unwrap your muscles and you are gone for good; each time a fraction accumulates to seconds & the races lost.
All the erstwhile robust, grace-full skiers having faded away, I lied to the reporters: we will take a hundred years to win a medal. At this rate.
who on earth taught you to thrust your heels? Loose your momentum and the resultant rhythm & balance; can you regain them in a 90 odd seconds race?
The Nordic skiers deserve all kudos. Its the toughest sports in the whole world, I tell you. I have won the race as a young Captain, but never since, I am an Alpine Skier, I take the solace. X-country skiers have a pulse of 40: its only after racing a couple of miles that they bring it to 60.The best of them can hibernate like the bares, such low metabolism. They all deserve a medal each, just on mere completion. Pangti, DGMT must give a personal pat on their backs. And an incentive to carry on. What a pity but no one was watching these spectaculars.
Rks & akshays lollipops to the Skaters & the ice hokey boys were well served, they shaping well, to every ones amusements. The Peter Principles of inversely achieved competence, applies to them too; unfortunately
But the SAF winter games next year is a good idea; didn’t we invented Srilanka earlier, then, again, when desperate, Bangladesh; latter, when we got the drubbing from all & sundry, to win a cricket match & renew centuries and new records after records. It will pay good dividend, hence. See the hype & wealth of the erstwhile backbenchers.
However, remember once you ride a tiger you have to keep riding. It’s like double-edged weapon-cuts both ways!
Debonair, young lawyer then, Muzaffar Baig used to come for strenuous skiing with me & Mhd Asharaf at Gulmarg while I were the principal in the 70s/80s, I wish he had not obviated & presided, instead, the decline. To see some of the intrigues the old fish are still up to, Farooq Shaws & Abdul Rasheeds party in the posh hotel was all private affair; Or, WGFI officials really boycotted it, others in any case, were elbowed out. How easy it was on part of the young tight fist-ed K A S OFFICER to casually relegate Fathers of Indian Skiing, or, perhaps, a grand father, figure-of-speech that is, to a liaison officer, to be "shacked up with some one in some arrangement in some shanty double bedded quarter". When decent accommodations were going a begging. Some perhaps occupied by their families. Hon minister may like to conduct an enquiry in all Gulmargs' show down.
Not despite, but because of the ground-grassroots rank, the gracious L O, Abdul Gani Laharwal, turned out to be a man of wisdom and tenacity, instead. Took care of all the integrities. Another asset to Kashmir, such people. For me it was the proprietors & the Manager Latif, of the Pine Palace hotel, were God sent. Latif had been & is still one of the Pillars of culture & hospitality of what Gulmarg is made and proud off.
Did any one notice the CRPF men standing at every 10 yds, on the road in the cold, wright from airport to gulmarg? And the Army's road opening & protective petrol's. Its' they who are the real heroes of the 5Th Winter Games, minus them no one could have ventured beyond the airport. Nevertheless, did they know anything about the National winter Games, did some one from the beneficiaries stop by and thank them!
Flying from east with just 4 hours, nights' transit at Delhi it Wouldn’t have hurt, for a little bit more, over lodging; after all I were no guest of no body even at the last winter Games, shoving in for every thing. However, I did go there too, flying strait from US. Because I am a skier, I have been the Best skier, I love the sport. I am teaching the NRIs and all other enthusiasts free, because ANO-BHADRA-KRATOv-YANTU-VISHWATAH.And they ain't a shade lesser.
As my heart bleeds for Indian winter games.
God Bless. Take Care.
VEERU
TheChauhan


veerchauhan@hotmail.com