Varun Thakkar: From arguments and differences to teaming up with KC Ganapathy!

Varun Thakkar will set sail at Tokyo 2020, flying the Indian flag high, with his 49er class crew member KC Ganapathy. The 49er class requires two members on board to take different roles while sailing and the Indian sailing pair of Thakkar-Ganapathy compliment each other well. So much so, that there are times when both sailors have had the same song on their mind, and sang along impromptu.

But before teaming up with Ganapathy, Chennai-based Thakkar saw him as a rival in the initial stages of their career. It started with Thakkar competing with Ganapathy at domestic level as both the sailors were enrolled in the same club in Chennai. And as their career continued to grow, they became arch-rivals, at national level.

However, the rivalry stopped when Thakkar decided to switch to laser class in 2008. And after falling short of the required height and weight required to excel in it, Thakkar was thinking of a change again. It was then in 2011, when the 29er boats were introduced in India, that the duo thought of joining hands to team up for the event.

"I knew he was a better helm than me, so I decided to start rowing and Gana started to helm. That’s how we became a team,” Thakkar recalled at a virtual media conference arranged by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

And even as teammates, the duo had a fair bit of arguments and differences in opinions, but it was a common goal that kept them going. Later, they moved from the 29er class to the 49er, and their bond also began to grow. So much so, that they were each other's backbone. 

Thakkar also won the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games with Ganapathy. It marked their first major success together before the duo qualified for Tokyo 2020 through the 2021 Mussanah Open Championship earlier this year.

The school drop-out duo would now be heading to Tokyo 2020 to test their coordination at the pinnacle of the sporting event and gain vital experience from it. 

When will Varun Thakkar's campaign at Tokyo 2020 begin?

Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy will begin their campaign at Tokyo 2020 on July 27, Tuesday, in the men's 49er Race 1.