Nethra Kumanan dedicates maiden Asiad sailing medal to parents, eyes LA Olympics qualification
Indian sailor Nethra Kumanan breaks her Asian Games podium jinx with a bronze in the women's dinghy event. Read about her journey and LA Olympics goals.
Indian sailing sensation Nethra Kumanan has finally broken her Asian Games podium jinx, securing a bronze medal in the women's dinghy event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. After years of near misses, the 29-year-old sailor arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday, expressing deep gratitude to those who supported her through her long and challenging journey.
"I would like to dedicate this medal to my parents and everybody who stood by me and believed in me from the beginning," Kumanan told ANI. "It's been a long, long journey, and this is my fourth Asian Games, so finally I have come home with a medal. It's just surreal."
A Hard-Fought Battle at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbour
Kumanan’s journey to the podium was a rollercoaster of skill and strategy. Competing at the Kaiyoh Yacht Harbour, she finished with 14 points in the final series. While she placed sixth in the first final race, a dominant performance in the second race propelled her to the third spot overall, trailing only Thailand's Sophia Montgomery and Singapore's Jania Ang.
Despite the achievement, the veteran sailor admitted to a sense of missed opportunity. "I am a bit disappointed because I was good enough to win gold," she confessed. "The great thing about sailing is whoever makes fewer mistakes is going to win, and I made a few too many mistakes. But I am happy to come home with a bronze."
Breaking the Jinx: From Incheon to Aichi-Nagoya
For Kumanan, this bronze marks the culmination of a decade of persistence. Her previous appearances at the Asian Games saw her finish just outside the medals:
- Incheon 2014: 7th place
- Jakarta 2018: 5th place
- Hangzhou 2022: 4th place
- Aichi-Nagoya 2026: 3rd place (Bronze)
The first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics, Kumanan has already represented India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games. Now, her sights are firmly set on the Los Angeles Olympics.
Eyes on the Prize: The Road to LA
Kumanan plans to take a brief hiatus before diving back into rigorous training. "Now it will be qualifying for LA and then doing the best result possible in the LA Olympic Games," she stated. She noted that the first major qualifying opportunity arrives in January in Brazil, with the goal of securing her berth there if not in subsequent continental competitions.
Team India's Sailing Success
Kumanan's bronze was part of a successful campaign for the Indian sailing contingent at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Other notable performances included:
- Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble: Silver in the men's skiff.
- Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma: Bronze in the women's skiff.
Two-time Olympian Vishnu Saravanan also returned from the games, finishing fourth in the men's dinghy event. Saravanan, a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, highlighted the extreme difficulty of the competition. "We faced a lot of challenges, especially with the weather conditions. It was very tidal and lots of overcast, so the wind was not building up," he explained.
Saravanan expressed immense pride in his teammates, particularly Harshita Tomar, who became a two-time Asian Games medallist. "I am very happy for Nethra Kumanan... It's been a long wait for her," Saravanan added, acknowledging the grit required to succeed in such demanding maritime environments.