Telangana sends largest sailing team for India International Regatta at Chennai

Hyderabad, December 15, 2016: With 26 sailors Telangana is a force to reckon with as it constitutes about 50% of the Indian fleet and about a third of the International Fleet that will participate in the India International Regatta at Chennai from Dec 15-20.

While it is an International with about 12 countries participating it is also the Youth Nationals under the Federation so each sailor will get a chance to win two championships rolled into one regatta.

The young sailors braved the pre-cyclone Vardha waves and water and sailed in the open seas for the first time and came out smiling but shooed back by the port authorities as the winds strength and swell reached alarming proportions yet brimming with confidence.

National Champion, Rishab Nayar of Telangana who has migrated to the US will lead the assault in the Lasers has flown back from Chicago for the event. Rishab is twice over National Champion and could make it a hattrick and maybe even win the international. That said despite being just 14 years he has touched 65 kilos and is likely to move into the senior fleet to sail the bigger Radial Rig, relinquishing the hattrick. “I took a look at the list of sailors and found the senior list a lot more challenging” said the 14 year old Rishab.

Siblings Juhi and Tanishq Desai ,both Telangana State Champions will also hit Chennai waters . Juhi hopes to get her first Laser medal at the Nationals and Tanishq aims at the Gold in the Laser fleet and has also decided to hit the senior fleet.

The team in the sub Junior class has three stalwarts, Musti Saibaba who has once finished 4th at the nationals and Gautham Kantala and Durga Prasad. Gautam is the current Telangana State Champion and is India No.7 while Durga Prasad is ranked at 9 based on their finishes at the Telangana Open and Monsoon Regatta performances. Must Saibaba is surely the favorite with many years of experience and making a come back in the Sub Junior fleet after a gap year where he migrated to the Juniors.

The contingent also comprises of sailors from various government schools travelling out of the state for the first time and studying at the Govt. School Shaikpet and under the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institution Society TSWERIES headed by Praveen Kumar an IPS officer who has a clear cut focus on sports and working with the deeply disenfranchised kids of the state.

A contingent of 8 girls will also attend mostly from local government schools and assisted by the Yacht Club of Hyderabad in collaboration with the Naandi Foundation . The girls are from deeply under privileged backgrounds and have been trained over he last year with a lot of focus on improved nutrition and physical fitness and a few months of practice. Mahboobie Tungar and Shreya Seshadri are the favorites.

‘We are proud to send out the largest contingent ever to the nationals from Telangana and we hope to double the strength in the near future. The idea is to scout for talent across the length and breadth of Telangana and make the state a sailing powerhouse “ said Lt.General KS Rao an Arjuna Awardee and President of the Telangana Sailing Association that was recently recognised by the Olympic Association of Telangana.

“We have put the sailors thru grueling training and leave early for Chennai to practice in the wide open sea with very different swell, tide and wind. It is good to have a mix of 6 experienced sailors and 20 first timers and we hope to give it our best “ said coach and President of the Yacht Club , Suheim Sheikh.

The Yacht Club of Hyderabad has a tradition of absorbing talent from the economically challenged backgrounds and has already produced a sub junior national champion from amongst them while many in the top 10 national level sailors across the years. This year the thrust is on increasing the number of girls who will not only be trained in the sport but also be provided with education assistance and improved nutrition.