In a historic achievement, Indian sailor Vishnu Sarvanan secured a bronze medal in the men’s dinghy ILCA-7 event at the Asian Games 2023 held in Ningbo. This marks India’s first-ever medal in this particular sailing category.
Sarvanan displayed remarkable skill and determination throughout the grueling 11-race competition, finishing with a net score of 34 points. His outstanding performance placed him just one point behind the silver medalist, South Korea’s Jeemin HA, who accumulated 33 points. The gold medal in the event was claimed by Singapore’s Jun Han Ryan Lo, who achieved a net score of 26.
Despite facing challenging conditions characterized by a lack of wind, India’s women’s single dinghy ILCA-6 event competitor, Nethra Kumanan, narrowly missed securing a podium finish. She had been in contention for a medal, sitting just three points behind the leader after the penultimate race. However, race No 12, which was to be the final one in the category, had to be canceled due to unfavorable conditions, leaving her in a disappointing fourth place.
Nevertheless, Indian sailors managed to replicate their performance from the 2018 Asian Games by securing one silver and two bronze medals in sailing at the Asian Games 2023.
Vishnu Sarvanan’s achievement adds to India’s growing success in sailing, following 17-year-old Neha Thakur’s silver medal win and Eabad Ali’s bronze medal in the men’s windsurfer RS:X event earlier in the competition.
In sailing, the competitor’s worst score is subtracted from their total points to determine the net score, with the lowest net score determining the winner. Sarvanan’s net score of 34, achieved by subtracting his worst score of 14 points (from race No. 8) from his overall score of 48, secured him the bronze medal, narrowly missing out on silver.
Vishnu Sarvanan, a reigning National champion since 2017, has been making waves in the sailing world. He had previously secured a silver medal in the 2019 Under-21 World Championships in Croatia and won silver in the 2021 Olympic Qualifiers Asian Championships.
Sarvanan’s dedication to sailing began at a young age when he learned the sport under his father’s guidance at the Army Yachting Node in Mumbai. His consistent performance and determination have brought him recognition on both national and international sailing platforms.