AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
VITHALDAS VADDO, MORJIM: Goa and Tamil Nadu are the two states the Yachting Association of India (YAI) has narrowed down as potential venues to host sailing events if India secures the rights to host the 2036 Olympics. According to sources, however, the wind is currently blowing in fa vour of Tamil Nadu. “Goa, compared to Chennai, has a beautiful natural coastline and is a great tourist destination. However, the bid from Tamil Nadu is far more purposeful. They are aggressive in their approach. Goa will need to buckle up,” disclosed a senior YAI official on condition of anonymity, on the sidelines of the YAI All India Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Championship held recently in Goa. Goa, Chennai and Mumbai were initially shortlisted as sailing ven ues for India’s 2036 Olympic bid, with Qatar, Turkey and Chile also in contention to host the Games. Mumbai, however, is no longer under consideration due to pollution concerns.
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“The board of Goa’s Dayne Coelho got stuck in polluted water during the Asian Games trials recently. The level of pollution will give India a bad global image,” said the source. “The country cannot afford to take such a risk on a global platform,” he added. Goa boasts a coastline of around 160 km along the Ara bian Sea, with national sailing events typically held at Dona Paula beach or along the Morjim–Mandrem coast. “Morjim beach would be ideal to host the Olympics. But, at the end of the day, it is for the Government of Goa to de cide. The state identifies the location and the Centre builds the infrastructure,” the YAI official said. Arjun Motha from Tamil Nadu, part of the Aqua Outback team competing at the nationals in Morjim, believes Tamil Nadu holds a key advantage. “We get strong winds for around seven to eight months a year, whereas Goa gets good sailing winds only for two or three months. This is our principal advantage,” said Motha. “Apart from duration, we also experience varied wind conditions favourable for sailing compared to Goa. Plus, we have a structured training regime in place that is already showing results, even at this championship,” he added. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has decided to invest in sail ing talent as part of a broader push to boost India’s interna tional sporting success. “The idea is to provide every opportunity to sportsper sons capable of winning medals at international events. We are not focusing on the national level,” said a senior Army officer involved in talent scouting. “The Prime Minister is keen on India winning laurels at the international level, and a meeting of senior Army per sonnel was recently held to strategise the Army’s role,” he added.
Promising athletes, the officer said, will be trained in Mumbai. “Top-quality equipment and the best coaches will be made available to those who display talent. A few ath letes from this championship have already been identified,” he disclosed. “Goa has hosted numerous national sailing events over the years, and it is high time we are given an opportunity to host an international event like the 2036 Olympics. Given the chance, we will be ready in terms of both talent and in frastructure,” said Remy Fernandes, who represented India at the World Sailing Championships in Thailand in 2000. However, concerns remain at the grassroots level. Hetal Kaku, mother of 12-year-old Naavya Kaku — the youngest youth women participant in the country — questioned whether government support would reach deserving ath letes. “I have to pay Rs 2,000 each time for my daughter to use boards for practice. If I need to store her board somewhere, I am charged exorbitantly. I prefer taking my child to Thai land, which is much cheaper. The government buys equip ment for athletes without realising they don’t actually ben efit from it,” she said. Former international sailor Derrick Menezes, India’s first coach with an international coaching certificate, believes hosting the Olympics could transform the sport. “Hosting Olympic sailing in Goa will be a huge boost for both the sport and tourism. Tourism will benefit from the infrastructure created. At the same time, we need to start identifying and training youngsters from the age of 12 or even earlier, as sailors typically peak around the age of 18,” he said
