With a rousing welcome by students, the son of the idyllic valley and star Winter Olympian of the nation, Arif Mohammad Khan actively kicked off the unique campaign 'Meet The Champions' here at Government SP Model Higher Secondary School on Friday.
Talking about this unique initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has completed its 17th edition with nearly 200 students in the oldest school of the picturesque valley, the Indian Alpine Skier said, "The day when our Prime Minister launched the Fit India campaign, it was a clear indication for every Indian that he wants each one of us to have proper diet regularly and make fitness a part of our daily life."
Stressing upon the intake of a balanced diet, Arif added, "Santulit Aahar (balanced diet) doesn't mean you stop going to the nearby cafe but it's just that anything you eat should be eaten in a balanced way."
Meanwhile, the event also witnessed an enthusiastic gathering of students who interacted with zeal and curiosity asking many questions related to the diet and fitness, challenges they face in the valley, ways to balance sports and academics etc. One of the students of SP HSS asked, "What infrastructural changes do you want to have so that Kashmir gets more international skiers?"
"There were times when I was about to give up due to different issues and circumstances, but I never did that since I was highly focused on what I wanted. So, do what you love to do and maintain a healthy lifestyle but never give up," replied the country's sole representative at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Notably, he also encouraged the students to eat and understand how rich Kashmir is in terms of organic food, fresh fruits and its culinary and cuisines which carry a lot of nutrients in it.
"We actually should understand how fortunate we all are in the valley where our regular, homely meals have so much nutrition, we have orchards with different fruits and we still breathe fresh air. So, we are surrounded with everything we need to stay fit," Arif supplemented.
This unique initiative is being organized jointly by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Education and is part of the government's 'Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.