History has been scripted after Nethra Kumanan made it to the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics. She qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by coming first at the Laser Radial event in the Mussanah Open Championship, a joint Asian and African Olympic qualifying event.
Kumanan is the 10th Indian to qualify for sailing events in Olympics, preceding nine sailors who had been male athletes and has become the first-ever Indian sailor woman to qualify in Olympics. Also, earlier nine male athletes had made it to the Olympics by getting nominated for quota places that were not filled up through the qualifiers. However, Nethra is the first Indian to have booked a direct quota place by topping the qualifier.
The 23-year-old athlete from Chennai was invincible in the Laser Radial event on April 7. Her 21-point unassailable lead over the chasing pack had already ensured her qualification to the Olympics and on Thursday, April 8 the formalities were completed making her the first-ever Indian woman sailor to make it to the Olympics.
What is the Laser Radial event?
The Laser Radial is one of the most popular single-handed boats in the world, sailed by a single person as is lightweight and fast to sail. It uses a flexible and short lower mast, with a sail area 18% smaller than the Laser Standard.
Designed by a Canadian duo - Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce in 1969, the Laser Radial was introduced as an Olympic discipline in 2008.
In the Laser Radial event, all athletes compete at the Olympic Games on these laser Radial single-handed boats.
Indian who previously qualified:
Nachhatar Singh Johal qualified in 2008, Shroff and Sumeet Patel in 2004, F Tarapore and Cyrus Cama in 1992, Kelly Rao in 1988, Dhruv Bhandari in 1984, Soli Contractor and AA Basith in 1972 are the nine Indians who previously qualified in the sailing event in Olympics.
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Indian sailors qualified in the sailing event in 2021:
Four sailors including a woman have created history by qualifying for 2021’s Tokyo Olympics. Vishnu Saravanan, Ganapathy Chengappa, and Varun Thakkar cutting the ongoing Asian Qualifiers in Oman.
Nethra Kumanan became the first Indian woman sailor to qualify in the laser radial event with a 21-point lead in the Mussanah Open Championship.