Just a day left at the Youth Sailing Nationals and the India International Regatta at Chennai and Telangana with the largest contingent of 26 sailors is all set of grab a bit of metal.
Rishab Nayar, who flew from Chicago to participate is assured of a National silver and an International bronze. “It was well worth travelling all the way to the regatta, Its just too cold in Chicago to sail and I was missing the sport. Good to win a few medals and go back and keep in touch with the country and sailing too,” said the 15-year-old Rishab now a strapling young man of 6 feet and giving the fleet a tough time.
Sachin Bethamalla of Warangal district, trained at the Yacht Club, is headed for a silver medal in the Green fleet. His first ever regatta outside Hyderabad and with just two races to go he is self assured that he will go back with a medal. Studying at Shaikpet Model School and with humble means the boy proved himself with just 27 kilos of weight in the strong post Vardah winds and swell to match.
Telangana favourite Gautam Kantala of Udbhav School and the Telangana Open Champion is also close to winning a medal having finished with a third and and sixth in Sunday’s races and with a consistent performance he could well go home with a Youth National medals.
“The weather was perfect and the courses long and gruelling for the little sailors but the courses laid out were perfect and the team from Telangana predominatly with kids who have never been out of the state or sailed in the open sea, our performance was satisfactory and we are sure that Telangana will grow into a sailing power in the years to come,” said Suheim Sheikh their coach and the President of the Yacht Club where they were trained.
