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Aanchal skis her way to global glory
Aanchal Thakur from Himachal Pradesh clinched bronze in the coveted Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup organised by the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) -- skiing\'s international governing body -- at the Palandoken Ski Centre in Erzurum in Turkey on Tuesday.
New Delhi: Aanchal Thakur from Himachal Pradesh clinched bronze in the coveted Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup organised by the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) -- skiing's international governing body -- at the Palandoken Ski Centre in Erzurum in Turkey on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old has just one wish after becoming the first Indian to win an international medal in skiing – an end to the government's apathetic attitude towards winter sports. The response to her bronze medal winning performance in Turkey has been overwhelming, to say the least. She still can't believe that none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated her on the achievement in a sport that usually begs for attention.
"I never thought the Prime Minister would tweet for me. It is unreal. I just hope we are finally treated at par with athletes of popular sports. As of now, there has been no support whatsoever from the government," Aanchal told PTI from Turkey where she secured the bronze in Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup organised by the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS).
"I just want to say that we too are fighting, working hard day in and day our for India," she said. Skiing runs in her blood but it has not been an easy ride thus far for the the 21-year-old, who is a student of DAV College in Chandigarh. Her father Roshan Thakur, who happens to be the secretary at the Winter Games Federation of India, always loved skiing and therefore it was natural for his children, Aanchal and Himanshu, to pick up the sport at an early age.
While Aanchal has grabbed attention now, brother Himanshu, also an alpine skier, competed in the Sochi Winter Olympics alongside luger Shiva Keshavan. Aanchal says if it was not for the efforts of her father, there was no way she could have pursued skiing. "What makes it more challenging for us is that it doesn't snow in India for the major part of the year, so we have to go out and train," she said. Her father Roshan adds that existing skiing venues in India, at Gulmarg and Auli, are the only world-class during competitions and are not looked after well otherwise.
