Three young athletes from Thailand are practicing cross-country skiing in the Hokkaido town of Higashikawa and hope they will be picked to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.
The Thais, all in their 20s, arrived in Higashikawa in October last year under the town government's program to train competitive cross-country skiers from snow-free countries. The training will last until March next year.
The town has allocated a budget of ¥7 million for the program, which provides skis and other gear and lodging in a dormitory it owns.
Located at the foot of Dai-setsuzan National Park, skiing season at the town begins in late October and ends in May. While cross-country skiers from Japan's national team visit for intensive training, many residents also enjoy the sport.
The town, which hosts many foreign students trying to learn Japanese, launched the cross-country skiing program to promote the sport in snow-free nations to help increase its name recognition.
The three Thais had never skied before coming to the town. They were chosen for the program by the Thai government because of their athletic ability and willingness to learn cross-country skiing.
The town office has set up a team of five coaches, including former national team coach Yoshiyuki Yanbe, 66, to help the Olympic hopefuls.
For now, the three Thais wish to participate in international competitions authorized by the International Ski Federation, but their dream is to compete in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Chehleh Arisaman, 24, the oldest of the Thai trio, said, "Because lots of people are supporting us, we will practice hard to participate in the Olympics."