Two sailors from Hyderabad to participate in world championship in Italy

This is the first time two girls from Telangana in the same year have been selected for the World Championships in the Sub Juniors category. The under-16 championship will be attended by 264 sailors from across 60 countries making it the most competitive regatta for youth on the planet.

Jhansipriya's mother is a single parent who works as part of the housekeeping team at the Yashoda Hospital. She is excited and happy about her daughter going for her fourth international tour after the 2019 Oman Asians and the Atlantic Week in Portugal and Spain.

Vaishnavi's mother works as domestic help in Marredpally and couldn't believe that her daughter is India No. 2 and will be carrying the Tricolour to Italy for a world championship. Both Jhansi and Vaishnavi, students of Udbhav School at Rasoolpura, joined sailing in 2018 and rapidly rose to the top of the Indian fleet.

"We both are looking to move up the ladder and reach the Olympics and Asian Games. We plan to participate in the forthcoming Asian Trials to be held in Hyderabad in August," said a confident and jubilant Vaishnavi who is eagerly looking to migrate to the Lasers and the 29er under the watchful eyes of her coach. "Garda is a lake known for heavy weather and hopefully our experience with Hussain Sagar monsoons will be of help then," Jhansi added.

"Jhansipriya is India's No. 1 and Vaishnavi is No. 2. We are proud that they both were selected and we shall leave no stone unturned to make sure they give their best at the championship," said Lt. Gen K.S. Rao, president of the Telangana Sailing Association. Telangana now boasts the largest fleet of boats and sailors across India in, ironically, landlocked Hussain Sagar.

Both Jhansi and Vaishnavi have trained under Suheim Sheikh at the Hyderabad Yacht Club. "The girls train hard and I do hope that COVID-related visa issues and quarantine issues do not spoil the party. Fingers crossed," said Suheim Sheikh, an alumnus of IIT Madras, and the president of the YCH Foundation, a charitable sports organisation at Hussain Sagar with the tagline "Dignity Through Sports". He works with marginalised children training them for international levels of sailing.

"It's been a long journey to get to this stage and were it not for the immense support from the Telangana state government's various departments this journey would never have reached this stage. We thank the Metropolitan Commissioner HMDA, BPPA and the Sports Authority for having lent their support when most needed," he added

Riva Del Garda is one of the largest lakes in Europe is in the picturesque northern part of Italy, not far from Verona and provides challenging sailing conditions. Garda is host to all the largest sailing championships in the world and despite being a lake simulates huge waves and is backed by sky high cliffs.