Muhammad Abbas (skier)

Muhammad Abbas
Personal information
Born (1986-02-16) 16 February 1986 (age 38)
Gilgit, Pakistan
OccupationAlpine skier
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Skiing career
DisciplinesGiant slalom
The athletes from Pakistan entering the stadium at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics

Muhammad Abbas (Urdu: محمد عباس), (born 16 February 1986)[1] is a Pakistani alpine skier[1][2] who was his nation's first competitor at the Winter Olympic Games, in 2010. Muhammad Abbas was not expected to win any medal, but he outraced some of the other debuting skiers. A group said to be particularly interested were Pakistani Canadians.[3]

Abbas was raised in a small village in Northern Pakistan, and his first pair of skis were carved out of wood by his father.[2] He was discovered at age 8 by a Pakistani Air Force officer (Group Captain(R) Zahid Farooq) who remains his coach. Abbas works for the Air Force, his assignment being to ski.[2]

  1. ^ a b FIS bio
  2. ^ a b c "From Naltar to Whislter – the story of Muhammad Abbas". Dawn. AP/Reuters. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  3. ^ CTV Olympics