Cross-country skier Bhavani charting own course
Snow fell on the protected faces of Bhavani TN and four other skiers as they got ready for the start of the Nordic 10km race in the Khelo India Winter Games at the Gulmarg Golf Club at Gulmarg on Saturday. In no time, the wind picked up. Undeterred, the athletes navigated their way through the winding course, leaving a trail on the vast swathe of white carpet, courtesy the heavy snowfall over the previous 48 hours.
The blustery conditions added to the challenge of the cross-country skiers in following the flags and staying the course. Bhavani was up for it. She won the race clocking 52 minutes, 22 seconds. It was useful preparation for her a week before the Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia (Feb 21). It will be Bhavani’s first big step towards qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“My coach once told me whether there is snow blizzard or a track full of fresh snow, you must be ready to face anything at the starting point. We don’t come across such conditions in India but today was different. It was rough and cold but a good experience for me,” she said.
Snow was far from where Bhavani, 27, grew up -- the hockey-loving Coorg in Karnataka. She can't stop raving about the hockey festival back home, but in the last couple of years she has barely spent time with the family.
It was during her days in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) that she was introduced to a mountaineering course and gradually took up skiing. Now, she travels across the globe to train, from one snow peak to another – Iceland, Norway, Italy – chasing her Olympic dream. In India, she trains at Gulmarg and Ladakh.
In December, she won silver in 5km skiing at the Raiffeisen Langlauf Cup held in Italy, becoming the first Indian woman to win an international medal in cross-country skiing. “I was working as a mountaineering and ski instructor but realised that If I had to qualify for the Olympics, I would need to take a deep dive and train for 365 days. So, I left my job and now my only target is the 2026 Olympics.”
Need financial support
Bhavani has been self-funding her training and sought support from the government to get her own coach and physio. She is now looking to compete in 10 international events so that her best five scores can be counted for qualification to the 2026 Winter Olympics, or the Milano Cortina Games because Milan and Cortina D'Ampezzo are the main cities.
India’s six-time winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan considers her a bright prospect.
“Last year I went to Norway but this time I could not afford it. So, Shiva sir suggested an alternative and I went to Italy for a month. The Italian federation organised everything,” said Bhavani, whose father runs a coffee business.
“You need at least ₹50-60 lakh a year. The Italy trip cost ₹10 lakh. For Norway, I had to spend double the amount. It is an expensive sport. The world’s best athletes have their coaches, physio, technicians – a full team.”
Bhavani travels on her own and takes pride that she is learning fast. During her training in Italy, she picked up the classic technique and finished fourth in a competition in Iceland.
“As a cross-country skier, I need to learn both classic and skate styles. The two styles alternate in major international events, including Olympics. In Iceland I finished fourth in the sprint classic race, not too far behind European skiers.”
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