Two athletes prove hot appeal for winter sports in Tibet

LHASA－Two Tibetan skiers, Yungkhen Lhamo and Tsering Dradul, who competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, have ignited enthusiasm for winter sports in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region.

Yungkhen Lhamo, the only Chinese athlete in the women's snowboard cross, was injured in training before the Games and was unable to compete, while Tsering Dradul raced in the men's 15km classic and sprint free, finishing 63rd and 60th respectively.

Their experiences and dedication have inspired Tibetans to participate in winter sports.

In some communities of the region, people used cans to emulate curling. There is also a museum in Lhasa launching an exhibition on the Olympics, which aims to introduce the history of the Games to tourists and locals.

"There had been no athletes from Tibet at previous (Winter Olympic) Games," says Nyima Tsering, director of the region's sports bureau. Yungkhen Lhamo and Tsering Dradul are the first athletes to participate at the Winter Olympics in Tibet's history.

In 2018, Tibet officially established three projects focused on cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering and snowboarding. There are now 24 athletes in the team, aged between 14 and 20. The two Olympians were once part of that team.

Yungkhen Lhamo, a soccer player from Chamdo city in Tibet, switched to snowboarding after she was selected for the national snowboard training team in August 2018, and has since won many relevant honors at international games in Argentina and France.

Yungkhen Lhamo has had to train and compete in places far away from her hometown due to the sport's competition schedule. Video calls have become the vital connection between her and her family.

"As soon as we have time, we will make a video call to Lhamo," her sister Drolkar says, adding that, to focus more on training, Yungkhen Lhamo has only returned home once, for a period of just three days, since leaving her hometown to join the snowboard circuit.

Snowboard cross is a sport with big risks due to high platforms, sharp curves and steep slopes. Data showed that among 2,567 athletes in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the number injured in snowboard cross topped 35. That danger, however, means that the sport has gradually become a most thrilling event at the Winter Olympic Games.

After injury that forced her out of the Olympics, Yungkhen Lhamo told her sister via a video call that she would double her efforts to compete at the next Winter Olympics and achieve good results.

Tsering Dradul, who used to be an amateur middle-distance runner from Nagchu city, participated in the national training team for cross-country skiing in June 2020.

Cross-country skiing is a great test of endurance, because athletes have to ski across varying terrain for long distances.

Tsering Dradul finished the Games with some regrets. "I have gained a lot of experience at this international competition. I will strive to win a prize at the next Winter Olympics for the Chinese team," he says.

"Snow sports have changed my life," he says, adding that he will take his ski equipment to the children in his village and demonstrate the sport. He hopes that the sport can also change their lives and bring them a brighter future.

The Tibet "nursery plan "launched by 17 Tibet-aid provinces and cities and the "big heart plan", inaugurated by the General Administration of Sport for Tibet, Qinghai province and China's other western plateau areas, have fostered more reserve sports talent in the region for the Winter Olympics.

With the rapid development of winter sports, an outstanding group of athletes are coming out of Tibet, setting their sights on the world stage and embracing a brighter future.

Xinhua