SHIMLA, Feb 17: Hassan Zaheer, a 11th class student of Modern School (Barakhamba Road), still cannot believe it. It all happened so quickly. From being an ordinary student of a school three months ago, he has returned from Austria as a `potential and a probable' for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City (USA).Hassan did not know what Luge (a winter sport) was all about until he joined a one-week training camp at Manali during the first week of November last year. The 16-year-old impressed the Austrian coach Gunther Lemmerer so much that he was invited for further training at Hattau (Austria) in January this year. And during the training period, the Indian youngster improved his timing at every stage and kept on qualifying for various meets. He was selected to represent the country in the Luge Junior World Cup, held at Hattau (January 28-30).Although the 16-year-old boy did not win any medals there, he was retained there for participation in the Luge World Cup for men held at Aurach (Austria) during February 5-7.It surely is a great feat for a youngster who took to the event hardly three months ago and qualified for the Junior World Cup and made it to the Men's World Cup in his first international exposure.Hassan had always been fascinated and attracted towards adventure sport. ``Rock climbing and cycling to distant places had always interested me,'' Hassan said on his return from Austria. He had even made a trip to Mussoorie on a bicycle with his friends. Swimming and diving are his other favourite sports.Adventure sport is in the Zaheer family's blood. Hassan's elder brother, Razi, a 12th standard student of Modern School, participated in the Commonwealth Games rock climbing competition in Scotland last year.Hassan is all excited about the new sport. ``It's a tough sport in which one has to cover the distance with maximum speed in minimum time. I trained on ice in Austria for a week before participating in the Junior World Cup,'' Hassan said.Hassan is also aware that the sport is quite expensive. ``The equipment costs over Rs one lakh. Until one gets sponsors, it will not be possible for Indian athletes to take to the game and train,'' Hassan said. For his trip to Austria, all expenses (minus travel) were taken care of by the international association. And of course, his school principal and sports director gave him just the kind of encouragement he needed.The Indian Amateur Luge Association plans to send Hassan for further training in Calgary in Salt Lake City (USA) during December-January in preparation for the next Winter Olympic Games.Another Indian, Shiva Keshavan had participated in World Luge Championships at Aurach (Austria), the Asian Cup at Nagano (Japan) and the Winter Olympics at Nagano last year. The Indian Amateur Luge Association plans to put both these athletes on a special training programme for a month to enable them to participate in the World Cups and have more sledding experience in international races. Luge has been a regular Olympic discipline since 1964.Being a science student, Hassan Zaheer is not quite sure how much time he would be able to devote to his new adventure. But he is confident of doing well in the Winter Olympics, if selected to represent the country. ``To represent India in the Winter Games is my ambition,'' said he. And that ambition could well be closer than he ever imagined.
