Telangana lad Erra Durga Prasad, 14, along with compatriots Juhi and Tanishq Desai are representing India at the Asian Youth Sailing Cup finals at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. This is Durga’s first International while Juhi and Tanishq are experienced Internationals. All three are medal hopefuls and Juhi has already won a bronze in the same circuit last year. Tanishq, ranked No. 4 in India amongst the youth has been training in Thailand post his participation in the Singapore Nationals and is in the reckoning for a medal as he is one among only five sailors who has participated in the entire Asian circuit. He will compete for the podium against Vishnu Sarvanan of India and Nicholas Bezy of Hong Kong, both top seeds Tanishq will need to upset.
If Durga Prasad performs he is likely to get a chance to attend the World Championships at Pattaya in Thailand later this year in July and of course the Telangana Open and Monsoon Regatta thereafter. Durga Prasad, currently ranked 3 in the India sub-juniors, has been practicing hard with the Indian team at Mumbai Harbour prior to his departure and while he competes in an 8 foot boat he got a chance to sail a 42 foot boat in Mumbai as a reward for his efforts and good performance by his coach Suheim Sheikh.
“It is fantastic to see all our youngsters from Telangana take to sailing in Hyderabad and Durga Prasad and team will only serve to be an inspiration to those that follow. We are proud that we have five sailors in the National Squad from Hyderabad and look forward to Telangana becoming an International powerhouse of sailing,” said Lt Gen K. S. Rao, the president of the Telangana Sailing Association, himself a circumnavigator in the legendary round the world Trishna expedition. Hyderabad sailor Durga Prasad, 14, has been selected by the Yachting Association of India to represent India at the ASAF Youth Games at Ras El Khaimah.
Durga has left for the UAE and it was his first time on an airplane. “I am very proud to see my son represent India and would like to thank the Yacht Club of Hyderabad and Suheim Sheikh for working hard to make this happen,” said Erra Lingam, Durga’s father in the presence of a proud and beaming mother. The Yacht Club of Hyderabad has five sailors in the National squad, another first for Hyderabad as the numbers of sailors grow and three will be participating in the ASAF Games at Ras El Khaimah.
The sport of sailing is rapidly growing in Telangana and the medals and Internationals are but the results of many years of training at the Hussainsagar thanks to the open to all membership structure of the Yacht Club with an emphasis on young talent starting at the age of 10 years. “As coach to all these kids it makes me swell with pride to see them take to international waters and especially sailors like Tanishq, Juhi and Durga Prasad, who at such a young age are representing the country,” said Suheim Sheikh, the president and chief coach at the Yacht Club of Hyderabad. “We expect many more youngsters from Hyderabad to take to the sport over the next year,” he added.
