Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): With athletes and fans all across the globe coming together to celebrate the International Olympic Day on June 23, ETV Bharat caught up with Gul Mustafa Dev, who had represented Indian in the 1988 Winter Olympics, becoming the first Olympian from Jammu and Kashmir in the process.
Despite their hard work and perseverance, many sportspersons from Jammu and Kashmir could not manage to come through the ranks to the biggest stage. However, Gul Mustafa Dev is an exception. The ace skier had brought glory to both India and Kashmir by participating in the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada in 1988.
A resident of Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar, Gul has the credit of being Jammu and Kashmir's first and Kashmir's only Olympian.
During a special conversation with ETV Bharat, he spoke in detail about his Olympic journey, the future and challenges faced by sportspersons in Kashmir.
In the National Skiing Competition held in 1986, Gul had won the gold medal in 'giant slalom', and a bronze each in the 'slalom' and 'downhill ski style' events.
On the back of his near-flawless performance in the competition, the Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) selected him in the Indian squad, which was to participate in the first-ever Winter Asian Games at Sapporo, Japan from March 01 – 08 in the same year.
'Participating in the Olympics was like a dream come true'
Subsequently in 1988, trials were held by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and WGFI for selecting a team for the 15th Winter Olympics scheduled at Calgary, Canada.
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Recalling his experience at the Winter Games, Gul told ETV Bharat that it was like a dream come true for him. "I secured the first position and was selected for the Olympic Games," Gul recalled with profound nostalgia.
He said that it was for the first time India was participating in the Olympic Games and to be part of that contingent was something he is still proud of. "I still cherish those moments. I secured the 68th position in the event," Gul said.
'Didn't accept lucrative coaching offers from the French, Swiss'
In 2008, Indian Olympic Association and Winter Games Federation of India chose Gul Mustufa Dev to carry the Winter Games' flame from Delhi to Gulmarg. "To light the flame for the games was even more memorable," recalls Gul with pride and delight.
Being the first and Olympian from the state, the state government had felicitated Gul with the Sher-e-Kashmir Medal. Later in 2011, Gul received the 'Olympian Award' from Nawang Rigzin Jora, the erstwhile state's then tourism minister. He also received an award for outstanding contribution in the field of sports by former Governor NN Vohra.
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"I also got a job in Youth Services and Sports as a skiing instructor and currently I am the Chief Skiing Instructor," Gul said. He added that he also coached the Indian skiing team for the 14th Junior Asian Games held in China.
"The Swiss and French skiing federations offered me to coach their players but I didn't accept the lucrative offers," he said, adding that there was no dearth of talent in the state and that he wanted to groom the young talent under his guidance.
'Lockdown should be no excuse for athletes in Kashmir'
Regarding the future of skiing in Kashmir, he said, "For the young generation, skiing is not that fascinating. In our time, there were no lifts or gondolas, and we used to make our own way up. This not only built our stamina but also made our legs stronger thus aiding the performance."
"It is a little difficult to qualify for the Olympics now as athletes have to earn FES points besides trials. It requires hard work, dedication. Which is very hard to find right now," he added.
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Talking about challenges of the sportspersons in Kashmir, he said, "Sports infrastructure in Kashmir has improved a lot but still more has to be done. For winter sports like skiing, we don't have certified slopes, players need to go outside India for practice and of course it is not affordable for everyone. Our young players have exhibited their talent on every platform, they are missing the Olympics podium just because of lack of exposure. Government should think and work on this."
On the issues faced by athletes owing to the lockdown, Gul said that it was noexcuse as Kashmir has seen multiple instances of lockdowns in the past.
"There is no excuse for a player for not being match fit. Kashmir has seen a lot of lockdowns but a player can exercise at home. For keeping yourself fit you don't need stadiums or grounds. The only thing that matters is your dedication and hardwork for improving the game. A player must not only play for certificates and get into professional courses but for themselves," he said.
At 57, Gul Mustafa Dev, the son of legendary goalkeeper of Kashmir Habibullah Dev, not only conquers skiing slopes himself, but has also trained over 12,000 boys and girls since 1993. Most of them have gone on to represent Jammu and Kashmir and India at the national and international level.
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