Champions of the Golden Valley

In Champions of the Golden Valley, a ski race connects youth across community divides in the mountains of Afghanistan.

by Arabella Estes

Snow sprays as young men and women race down the slopes of the mountains surrounding Bamyan, Afghanistan. Without a ski lift in sight, and with many of them on handmade wooden skis, skiing takes on an elevated purpose in this community.

Champions of the Golden Valley is a heart-warming new documentary produced by RPCV Baktash Ahadi that follows Alishah Farhang, a skier who, after failing to qualify for the Olympics as Afghanistan’s first winter Olympian, returns home to start a ski club in his mountain village.

In the days and weeks leading up to the club’s annual Ski Challenge, the documentary observes the rivalry and growing friendship between contenders Hussain Ali and Mujtaba. As the story unfolds, the impact of Alishah’s ski club becomes increasingly evident.

Bridging gender stereotypes and ethnic divides in the region, the joy, camaraderie, and inspiration created through the club connect an entire community.

The film takes a heavier turn, however as it fast-forwards to the present day. As a result of Taliban control of Afghanistan, Alishah and his family, as well as a majority of the women skiers featured in the film, are forced to leave Afghanistan as refugees. The young men who remain in the country continue to ski and encourage skiing among youth despite the conflict around them, but the Bamyan Ski Club ceases to exist.

Despite the harsh reality of the conflict in Afghanistan today, the documentary is uplifting, hopeful, and confident in its message. As Alishah says, “Sport is the way to make friendships and forget about everything else you have gone through with each other in the past.”

Champions of the Golden Mountain is now streaming on the Olympic Channel, where you can watch it for free alongside live and recorded events at the 2026 Winter Olympic games in Milano Cortina, Italy.