Poised for victory: Waiting for the great slalom dunk

Mohammad Karim to represent Pakistan in his first event at the winter games on Feb 19.

GILGIT: Mohammad Karim was not very well-known in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). But being selected for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics changed everything; the teenager became a hero overnight.

“It’s really great that a guy from this region has been selected for such a big event,” said Aslam Khan, a resident of Gilgit. “This is very good news, it will help promote skiing in G-B.”



While being in the headlines is certainly a novel experience for the teenager, skiing is a childhood love. Karim cut his teeth on the harsh slopes of Naltar Valley where, growing up, he saw his family fashion homemade wooden skies, chattering downhill.

The young boy grew up with aspirations to go international. Karim joined Naltar Ski School run by Pakistan Air Force and is now the sole representative of Pakistan at Sochi. He is not the first, however, to make it to the games. Mohammad Abbas ranked 79th in the men’s giant slalom in the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Karim’s first event will be the giant slalom on February 19, and the eyes of Naltar, and quite possibly the rest of the country, will be on him as he takes centre stage.

Over a cold one

While his neighbours and friends excitedly await the results, they possibly will not huddle in front of the telly to watch him leave his opponents – as they hope – in a dust of white powder. It’s not just the absence of sports bars or venues which hold special screenings; though only cricket and football evoke that camaraderie in the country.

Naltar Valley’s residents do not own many television sets and the mobile network can barely hold its own in snowstorms. “At the moment, we can only rely on radio channels, maybe they will update us about Karim,” said Gulab Shah, Karim’s next-door neighbour in Naltar and also a relative. “We are all excited about his event at Sochi; let’s hope for the best.”

Beacon of hope

For most of the locals, Karim is actually a bright spot in the middle of bad-mouthed tourism in G-B, poor weather and other more pressing problems.

“Karim represents us and all eyes are on the competition now,” said Khalid Hussain, another resident. But like the rest of the teenager’s well-wishers, a win is not the be-all and end-all for Hussain. “I am sure he will bring good news back home. But he is our hero, no matter if he wins or not. Karim, we wish you luck,” added Hussain.

Shoaib Sultan, yet another excited relative of the young skier, hopes Karim’s selection in Sochi will give the game some fame in G-B. “There is so much talent here and in the rest of the country; all we need is a push and some facilities. We already have the slopes.”

If more locals are given chances in competitions organised by Naltar Ski School, Sultan feels there will be more opportunities to groom talent. “It could be a game changer for Pakistan.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.

Correction: In an earlier version of this article, it was erroneously mentioned that Karim's first event at the winter games was on February 14. The error has been fixed.