Young guns set sail
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The excitement was double at the launching ceremony of nine Optimist Class and three 4.7 metre Omega Topaz boats at the Yacht Club of Hyderabad on Sunday, as Indian sailors had just won silver in the on-going Asian Games in Guangzhou on Saturday.
The Yacht Club of Hyderabad will now be the hub of activity as initiatives are on to groom young talent from various schools and under-privileged children as well to become sailors. “We have had a lot of championships in Hyderabad at the Hussainsagar Lake. And when we have the resources why not make it a hub of activity all through the year,” said Suheim Sheikh, vice-president of the Yacht Club of Hyderabad.
“We are mostly looking at young talent and we have a regular batch of children trainees coming from different schools,” Sheikh added.
The initiative is taken up to promote the sport in harmony with nature. The boats here are named after different birds namely like Darter, Sandpiper, Little Cormorant, Brahmini Starling which are found around the lake. An important aspect of the initiative is the involvement of under-privileged children, who will be imparted free training.
The Yacht Club of Hyderabad has trained seven children in the last nine months from which four will represent the state in the sub-junior sailing nationals in Khadakwasla, Pune.
For 12-year-old Nikhil Kumar, the time spent on sailing is the best part of his day. “I am good in studies but nothing can beat my interest for sailing,” said the youngster who cycles all the way from his house near the passport office in Secunderabad to the Yacht Club.
Another youngster, Rajnikanth, whose brother is an employee at the Sanjivaiah Park, got into the sport because of his kin. “I watched some sailors and I was intrigued. I kept coming back to watch them and wondered if I could get an opportunity to be part of this,” said Rajnikanth. “Since I knew how to swim, I was chosen to be a part of the training,” Rajnikanth said.
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