Army Subedar Vishnu Saravanan becomes second Indian sailor to qualify for Tokyo Olympics

For the first time in an Olympics, India will participate in more than one sailing event as Indian Army's Subedar Vishnu Saravanan qualified for the Tokyo Games in the Laser STD Class after finishing second in the Asian Qualifier in Oman on Thursday, April 8. Also, in the Mussanah Open Championship, which is an Asian Olympic qualifying event, Nethra Kumanan became the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Games in Tokyo in the laser radial event.

Indian sailor Vishnu Saravanan qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

Saravanan, who had been in the third position until the penultimate day on Wednesday, won the medal race on Thursday to move up to second overall and secure a quota for the Tokyo Olympics. He beat Thailand's Keerati Bualong for the Tokyo Games place, who had been second until Wednesday. Ryan Lo Jun Han of Singapore finished first overall in the Laser STD Class points table on Wednesday.

Two sailors qualify for the Olympics in the laser class events of the championships.

"Yes, Vishnu has also qualified for the Olympics. Nethra has already qualified on Wednesday. Till Wednesday, Vishnu was third behind the Thai sailor though both were on the same points. Today in the medal race, Vishnu finished first and so naturally he ended above the Thai sailor in the points table," PTI quoted Yachting Association of India joint secretary general Capt Jitendra Dixit as saying.

Dixit added, "Two sailors qualify for Olympics in the laser class and Vishnu finished second. The Singapore sailor was well above Vishnu before today and so Vishnu could not dislodge him (from the top position). There were four instances of two Indian sailors qualifying for the Olympics earlier but they took part in the same event. This time in Tokyo, India will be taking part in more than one event in sailing."

Farokh Tarapore and Dhruv Bhandari, an Indian duo, competed in the 470 division at the 1984 Olympics. In the 1988 Olympics, Tarapore and Kelly Rao competed in the same event. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Tarapore and Cyrus Cama participated in the same 470 class, before Malav Shroff and Sumeet Patel competed in the 49er class skiff in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

(with inputs from agencies) 

(Picture Credit: ANI)