Tarapore, Choudhary to lead India`s charge in Asiad sailing

Mumbai: Seasoned sailaor Farokh Tarapore, a four-time medallist, and two-time podium finisher Rajesh Choudhary will lead India`s challenge in the November 12-27 Guangzhou Asian Games sailing competitions. Veteran Tarapore had won the Fireball class gold medal as crew of Zarir Karanjia in the 1982 Asian Games sailing regatta held off the Mumbai harbour and also picked up a hat-trick of bronze medals in the Asian Games held between 1986 and 1994. After finishing third in the 470 class of boats at the Asian in Seoul, Beijing and Hiroshima, the 50-year-old Tarapore has turned his eye on Match Racing at the Guangzhou Games. He would race with teammates Atool Sinha, Shekhar Yadav, Trunal Helegaonkar and Balraj Singh. Rajesh Choudhary, who won back-to-back bronze medals at the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games in Busan (South Korea) and Doha (Qatar) in the Open Laser Radial class, is once again leading the Indian charge in the same category. The Union government has approved the yachting team for the Guangzhou Games based on the performances of the sailors at the selection trials held in April and May this year, according to the Yachting Association of India. Two under 15 sailors, K C Ganapathy and Zephra Currimbhoy, are to take part in the Optimist boys and girls categories respectively. The two youngsters have taken a one-year break from schooling and performed exceedingly well at the recently concluded 9-nation India International Regatta at Chennai, according to YAI, in which Zephra picked up a silver medal. Dave Atkinson, the British coach engaged by YAI for the Match Racing team but recently resigned on medical grounds, is hopeful of the team performing well at the Guangzhou Games. British coach Peter Conway, who has been roped in to train the Indian Laser and Optimist teams, and Naresh Yadav would accompany the teams as coaches while K S Rao will be the team`s manager in China, according to YAI. The Indian sailing squad is scheduled to leave for China on November 4 to practice at the Shanwei Water Sports Center in Honghai Bay, the venue of the regatta which located is in the coastal area of Guangdong province. In March the Asian Regatta was held at the same venue as a test event and the Indian sailors were also among the participants. The sailing competitions will be held from November 14-21. In the past, India have won one gold, four silver and nine bronze medals in the Games sailing regatta. The country`s sailors returned home from the last Games in Doha with two bronze - Choudhary in Open Laser (Radial) and the team in Match Racing - after having grabbed three - one silver and two bronze - four years earlier in the Busan Games. India secured their first-ever medal in sailing in the Asian Games at Bangkok in 1978 when Dharmendar Kumar and Surinder Mongia got a silver in the Enterprise class which was later discontinued. PTI