Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: Ice hockey chief Harjinder Singh appointed India’s Chef de Mission

Alpine skier Mohammad Arif Khan is the only Indian athlete to have earned a quota for the 2022 Winter Games so far.

1 minBy Ali Asgar Nalwala
GettyImages-1231056039
(Getty Images)

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has appointed Harjinder Singh as India’s Chef de Mission for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which starts in February.

Harjinder Singh is the general secretary of the Ice Hockey Association and has also led the Indian contingent at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where India had two representatives - cross-country skier Jagdish Singh, and six-time Olympian luger Shiva Keshavan.

A Chef de Mission leads the contingent and is responsible for ensuring that athletes and the coaching staff have the right environment to perform at their best. They usually take care of the team’s planning, communication and logistics during the Games.

Alpine skier Mohammad Arif Khan is the only Indian to have earned a quota so far for Beijing 2022, which will take place from February 4 to 20. He will compete in the men’s slalom

The first edition of the Winter Games happened in Chamonix, France in 1924. India have participated in 10 editions, starting from 1964.

Four-time Asian champion Shiva Keshavan has represented India in six successive Winter Olympics, starting from 1998

India, however, are yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.