Vishnu Saravanan Leads 10-Member Sailing Squad for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games After Five-Medal Campaign in Hangzhou
India has named a 10-member sailing contingent for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with the squad set to compete across women’s windsurfing, dinghy and skiff events, along with men’s dinghy and skiff and the mixed dinghy competition.
The Indian team includes several established international names, led by Olympians Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan, as the country looks to build on a successful five-medal sailing campaign at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Katya Ida Coelho will compete in women’s windsurfing, while Nethra Kumanan has been selected for the women’s dinghy event. Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma will form India’s women’s skiff team.
Mahi Verma has been named in the girls’ dinghy event, while Shraddha Verma and Ravindra Kumar Sharma will compete together in the mixed dinghy event. The men’s skiff team will comprise Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble, while Vishnu Saravanan will represent India in the men’s dinghy competition.
The squad gives India representation across multiple classes and provides the country with another opportunity to compete against Asia’s leading sailing nations.
India enjoyed one of its strongest Asian Games sailing campaigns at Hangzhou 2022, winning five medals across different disciplines. The performances included two silver medals and three bronze medals, underlining the growing depth of Indian sailing at the continental level.
Nethra Kumanan was among the standout performers, winning a silver medal in the women’s dinghy event. She finished second overall with 27 net points, marking one of the biggest achievements of her Asian Games career.
The result was particularly significant for Nethra, who had already represented India at the Olympic Games. Her consistency across the races helped her secure a place on the podium in a highly competitive fleet. Vishnu Saravanan also returned with a medal from Hangzhou, winning bronze in the men’s dinghy event. He finished third with 34 net points and added another major continental result to his international record.
India also won bronze in the men’s windsurfing competition, where Eabad Ali finished third. The women’s skiff team of Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a medal.
The mixed dinghy event also saw India remain competitive, with the pairing of Preethi Kongara and Sudhanshu Shekhar finishing sixth. Those results provide the benchmark for the 2026 contingent heading to Aichi-Nagoya.
Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan lead experienced core
The return of Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan gives India two proven performers in the dinghy events. Both athletes have already competed at the Olympic level and have experienced the pressure of major international regattas. Their ability to manage changing wind conditions, tactical decisions and consistency across multiple races will be important to India's campaign.
Sailing at the Asian Games is not decided by a single race. Athletes must perform consistently across a series of races, with net points determining the final standings. That makes recovery from difficult races just as important as winning the strong ones. A poor finish can quickly affect an athlete's overall position, particularly in closely contested fleets.
For Nethra, the challenge will be to build on her silver medal from Hangzhou and once again compete among the leading sailors in Asia.
Vishnu will similarly aim to improve on his bronze-medal finish from the previous edition.
The women's skiff team returns after a fourth-place finish.
Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma will once again combine in the women’s skiff event after finishing fourth at Hangzhou 2022. The pair finished just outside the medals in the previous Asian Games and will head into the 2026 edition with the experience of competing together at the continental level.
Skiff sailing is among the most physically demanding disciplines in the sport. The event requires close coordination between the two sailors, particularly during manoeuvres and changes in wind conditions.
Communication and timing are crucial, while maintaining boat speed can often determine the difference between leading and losing positions. For Harshita and Shital, Aichi-Nagoya presents an opportunity to convert their previous fourth-place finish into a stronger challenge for the podium.
Harshita's selection also reflects her continued importance to the Indian sailing setup after her Hangzhou campaign.
The 10-member contingent reflects India's effort to compete across a broad range of sailing disciplines. Katya Ida Coelho will take on the women's windsurfing competition, while Mahi Verma has been selected for the girls’ dinghy event.
In the men's skiff competition, Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble will represent India as a team. The mixed dinghy event will see Shraddha Verma and Ravindra Kumar Sharma combine, adding another team discipline to India's programme. The mixed event places particular emphasis on coordination, with both sailors required to respond quickly to changing race situations and maintain a consistent rhythm throughout the regatta.
India's five medals in sailing at Hangzhou established a high benchmark for the programme. Repeating that performance in Aichi-Nagoya will not be straightforward, with the strongest sailing nations in Asia expected to field experienced athletes across every class.
However, India will enter the 2026 Asian Games with athletes who understand the demands of major international competition.
Nethra Kumanan and Vishnu Saravanan bring Olympic and Asian Games experience. Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma return after coming close to a medal in Hangzhou, while the squad also features new combinations across skiff and mixed events.
The objective will be to turn consistency across the race series into podium finishes.
With 10 sailors competing across multiple classes, India will look to build on the momentum from Hangzhou and once again make sailing one of the country's stronger medal opportunities at the 2026 Asian Games.
India’s 10-member sailing squad for the 2026 Asian Games: Katya Ida Coelho – Women’s Windsurfing; Nethra Kumanan – Women’s Dinghy; Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma – Women’s Skiff; Mahi Verma – Girls’ Dinghy; Shraddha Verma and Ravindra Kumar Sharma – Mixed Dinghy; Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble – Men’s Skiff; Vishnu Saravanan – Men’s Dinghy.
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