Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has urged every Indian to support Alpine skier Mohammed Arif Khan. The man from Jammu and Kashmir will be India’s sole representative at the Beijing Winter Olympics which is scheduled to be held from 4th February.

Chopra who won the gold medal in Tokyo Summer Games became the first Indian to win a medal in athletics at the Olympics. The javelin thrower became the only second Indian to clinch the gold medal at the Olympics after Abhinav Bindra who won gold at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games in shooting.

Neeraj, therefore, is aware of the support and the things that fans can change for an athlete. Hence he wants Indians to back Arif Khan at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Love and support from fans can take an athlete a long way  especially in such a big ticket event like the Winter Olympics.

Mohammed Arif Khan from the valley is the first Indian athlete to directly qualify for two different events at a single edition of the Winter Games. He will be gearing up to compete in the giant slalom event on February 13 and slalom on February 16 at the Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing Field.

“I want to thank all my countrymen who supported Indian athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Beijing 2022 is starting and I want to request everyone to support us in Beijing as much as you did in Tokyo,” Neeraj told Olympics.com.

“Our very own Arif Khan has qualified for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. I want to congratulate him and just tell him to give it your all for your country at Beijing,” he added.

“I hope you have an incredible experience at the Games. Stay focused, enjoy yourselves and have fun representing your countries at the Games,” the Olympics gold medallist added.

However, the main highlight of the Winter Olympics till now has been India’s diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony after the Galwan row. India called out China’s move of handing the Chinese soldier involved in the Galwan incident as the torchbearer of the event.

Responding to the entire controversy Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “It is indeed regrettable that the Chinese side has chosen to politicize an event like the Olympics… the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of India in Beijing will not be attending the opening or the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.”