OnlyKashmir.in 

There are moments when an athlete wins a medal and an entire region celebrates. Photographs circulate, congratulations pour in and for a brief moment, the athlete becomes a symbol of pride. But what happens when the celebrations are over, the photographs disappear from social media and the next competition begins to approach? For many athletes from Kashmir, that is when another, less visible race begins — the race to find the money, equipment and support needed to continue.

Waseem Bhat, fondly known as the “Tiger” of skiing, knows that race perhaps better than most. Hailing from Mul Bangil in Tangmarg, Baramulla, Waseem began his journey on the snow-covered slopes of Gulmarg and gradually built himself into one of Kashmir’s accomplished Alpine skiers. He has represented Jammu & Kashmir repeatedly at the national level, won state titles and accumulated an impressive medal record. His achievements include eight gold, five silver and four bronze medals across national Alpine skiing championships, covering both junior and senior categories. He has also represented India on international platforms, including the 30th Asian Alpine Ski Championship in Lebanon, international races in Dubai and competitions in Kazakhstan.

For any young athlete from Kashmir, reaching such a stage is extraordinary. For Waseem, it represents years of discipline, sacrifice and an almost stubborn refusal to give up on a dream. He has not merely participated in competitions; he has carried the identity of Kashmir and the Indian flag with him. He has competed beyond the mountains that first introduced him to skiing and has stood among athletes from across Asia and beyond. He has also captained Jammu & Kashmir at national winter sports competitions and continues to train and mentor younger skiers in Gulmarg.

Yet despite everything he has achieved, the journey is far from easy.

That is the uncomfortable contradiction at the heart of Waseem Bhat’s story. An athlete can represent India internationally and still find himself looking for sponsorship. He can win medals and still worry about the cost of the next competition. He can make his state proud and still have to ask whether there will be enough financial support to take the next step.

Perhaps that is what makes his story bigger than Waseem himself.

Kashmir has never been short of sporting talent. From cricket to football, athletics, martial arts and winter sports, young athletes from the region have repeatedly shown that they can compete far beyond their hometowns. In skiing particularly, the names of Arif Khan, Waseem Bhat, Ayan Tariq Zargar and others have demonstrated that Kashmir’s mountains can produce athletes capable of entering the national and international arena.

But talent alone cannot carry an athlete to the top.

Skiing is an expensive pursuit. Competitive equipment is expensive. International travel is expensive. Training, accommodation, race fees, maintenance and specialised coaching all come with a price. For an athlete trying to compete internationally, the challenge does not end when he qualifies. In many ways, qualification is where another challenge begins.

And this is where we need to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: how many talented athletes have had to slow down, step away or abandon their ambitions because they could not afford to continue?

We celebrate our athletes when they win. We proudly share their photographs when they return with medals. We call them the pride of Kashmir when they represent India. But supporting an athlete should not begin after victory. It should begin when the athlete is still training, still struggling and still trying to reach the next level.

Waseem’s story makes that point painfully clear.

He has already done what many aspiring athletes dream of doing. He has worn the national colours. He has competed outside India. He has won at the national and state levels. He has established himself as a skier and instructor and is helping younger athletes follow the same path. Yet the dream has not ended. Like every serious athlete, he wants to go further — towards the World Championships, towards the Olympics and towards a level where Kashmir is represented among the best in the world.

But dreams of that scale cannot survive on determination alone.

They require a support system.

And sponsorship should not be treated as charity. Supporting an athlete is an investment in talent, in representation and in the sporting future of Jammu & Kashmir. A company that sponsors a promising skier is not simply paying for a trip or a piece of equipment. It is helping an athlete carry the name of Kashmir and India into places where very few from the region have reached.

The story becomes even more significant when we remember that Waseem is not an isolated case. Across Kashmir, young athletes are training with limited resources, travelling long distances for competitions and often relying on families, friends or personal savings to keep their sporting dreams alive. Some win medals. Some represent the country. Some come close to the highest level. And some quietly disappear from competitive sport because the financial burden becomes too heavy.

That should concern all of us.

A region should not merely celebrate its athletes after they succeed. It should create conditions in which they can succeed.

The government has an important role to play, but so does the private sector. Kashmir has businesses, hospitality groups, tourism companies and large institutions that can become partners in building a stronger sporting culture. Sponsorship programmes, athlete scholarships, equipment support and long-term partnerships could make an enormous difference to athletes who already possess the most difficult thing to develop: talent and determination.

Waseem Bhat’s journey should therefore not be reduced to the number of medals he has won or the countries where he has competed. His story is about the distance between talent and opportunity.

He has climbed Kashmir’s slopes. He has climbed national podiums. He has crossed borders carrying the Indian flag. Now, as he looks towards bigger competitions and bigger dreams, the question is not whether he has proved himself.

The question is whether those who celebrate his achievements are prepared to stand beside him when the next race begins.

Because an athlete should not have to win a medal before we decide that his dream is worth supporting.

Waseem has already carried Kashmir to the world.

Now, who will help carry Waseem the rest of the way?