Coming from the remote Zanskar region of Ladakh, two young girls — Stanzin Khando and Tenzin Kunzin — were living their dreams at the rink inside Leh’s Nawang Dorjan Stobdan (NDS) Stadium.
On Thursday, as the two were awarded medals in figure skating, they straight away rushed to their coach Natalie Falsgraf. “I am proud of you,” said Falsgraf.
For many years now, Falsgraf, a volunteer from United States, has helped these girls and others to chase their dreams in figure skating, a sport introduced for the first time in the Khelo India Winter Games this year.
Kunzin and Khando won silver and bronze medals respectively in figure skating in which 20 figure skaters from five states and two UTs took part in two categories — novice free skating and advanced short programme.
Khando said winning a medal is the result of years of hard work, and guidance from Falsgraf, who has been coaching a group of five girls from Zanskar.
“Whatever I have achieved so far, credit goes to her. I am sure she will help to achieve my dream of representing the country at the international level and also in the Olympics,” said Khando.
Falsgraf recalled her first visit to Zanskar a few years ago where she started coaching the students voluntarily.
“I had heard that Ladakh has a lot of passion around ice skating. I have always been passionate about teaching skating. So I started basic skating teaching and these girls were very passionate about skating,” she said.
She said a group was formed and “we began working”. “These girls were always ready to improve and always interested to learn and now the results are there. They are winning,” said Falsgraf.
Given the lack of proper infrastructure, it was a difficult task to train initially. “We would practise wherever we would find snow in Ladakh,” said Falsgraf.
Now with a modern rink in Leh, Falsgraf said it will help skaters practise round the year. “I am preparing them for international opportunities. Waiting for the day to see them getting international medals,” she said.
On Thursday, as the group of five girls continued to practise for the upcoming events on Gopuk lake, one of the girls said she wanted to become a dancer initially but developed an interest in skating after meeting Falsgraf.
“I started to develop an interest in skating. Now I am practising everyday under her guidance so that one day I will represent my country and even win an Olympics medal,” said one of the girls, who couldn’t compete this year because of her age.
Passang Chawang of the Zanskar Winter Sports Foundation said he is proud of the young athletes. “There is a lot of interest among the children here for ice skating. We have trained a lot of children between 5-18 years in the last few years in Zanskar,” he said.
