BORMIO, Italy — In the world of alpine skiing where nations like Switzerland and Norway dominate, Faiz Basha represents an extraordinary anomaly. As Singapore’s second Winter Olympian in history, the 23-year-old skier carries the flag for a tropical nation where temperatures rarely dip below 30°C (86°F).
Basha’s journey to the Milan Cortina Games began unexpectedly when his family relocated to Geneva during his father’s diplomatic service. Introduced to skiing by his mother who worked at a Swiss bank, Basha quickly developed a competitive passion for the slopes. “I didn’t like losing as a kid,” recalled Basha, whose full name is Faiz Basha Munwar Basha. “Whenever I had a bad race, I would be crying. But I kept improving.”
His path diverged dramatically from conventional ski racing development when he returned to Singapore to fulfill mandatory military service. With no mountains available, Basha innovatively trained on inline skates through slalom courses set up on local promenades. “Inline skates helped me develop a skiing-on-rails mindset,” Basha explained. “When I returned to snow after national service, I actually improved.”
The Olympian’s career nearly ended following a devastating super-G crash as a teenager that tore a hole in his intestine. The psychological aftermath proved particularly challenging. “My first training after the crash, I crashed three consecutive runs,” Basha remembered. “I told my mother I was done with skiing.”
During his recovery hiatus, Basha channeled his analytical mind into redesigning Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system map. His viral cartography project earned him an internship offer from the transportation department. Meanwhile, he pursued mechanical engineering studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Basha joins a growing contingent of athletes from non-traditional winter sports nations making their mark at the Games. Eritrea’s Shannon Abeda, who finished 31.30 seconds behind giant slalom champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil, expressed similar pride in representation. “My friend asked me how much it took to get here, and I just started bawling,” Abeda shared.
Nathan Tchibozo of Benin, who finished 48th in giant slalom, echoed the sentiment: “This shows that everything is possible. You have to believe in your dreams.”
Though Basha recorded a DNF (did not finish) in his Olympic giant slalom debut after crashing, his perspective remains focused on broader objectives. “I know I’m still far from the top, but success means breaking new ground for Singapore,” Basha stated. “I’m content with what I’ve achieved in paving the way for future tropical climate athletes.”