Asian sailing championship: Varun Thakkar-KC Ganapathy win 49er gold medal
The Indian sailing pair, who also competed at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, had won gold in 2018 and a silver in 2019 at the Asian meet.
The Indian sailing team of Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy clinched the gold medal at the 2021 Asian 49er Sailing Championships in Mussanah, Oman on Tuesday.
The Indian duo was the top Asian team in a fleet of 30, which also had teams from outside Asia. However, the non-Asian sailing teams were invited as guests and did not compete for medals.
Tokyo Olympians Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy finished 10th overall – the only Asian side in the top 10 – with a net total of 119 points after 11 rounds of racing.
This was the Indian pair’s third medal at the continental showpiece, having won gold in 2018 and silver in 2019.
The Asian champions will now represent India at the 49er World Championships, starting from November 16 at the same venue.
Meanwhile, there were two other Indian teams in the Asian regatta, but none could finish on the podium.
Prince Noble and Manu Francis finished 28th overall and fifth in Asia while Anand Thakur and Satyam Rangad ended ranked 29th overall and sixth in the continental standings.