Hyderabad: Vaishnavi Veeravamsham is set to be the youngest sailor representing India at the Oman Senior Girl’s World Championship. The championship starts on December 1, 2021, with Musannah Bay as the venue.
Vaishnavi is lauded by many for her feat as she is the youngest sailor at Oman Senior Girl’s World Championship at 15 where the average age of participants is 25.
Vaishnavi placed second in the National Ranking after acing the Hyderabad and Bombay Nationals and was selected for the Senior Girls World Championship as a result. She turned 15 just this October and is the youngest ever to secure such a position in the championship.
“I am proud to be selected to represent India but at my age and just 6 months experience on the Laser Radial boat I am worried that it will be the most difficult championship in my life but I hope to gain from the experience. I thank my coach and mentor Suheim Sheikh sir for bringing me up to this level”, she said.
She thoroughly impressed the sailing fraternity after she won three sailing trophies at the Hyderabad Sailing week this August and also won Bronze at the Senior Nationals in Bombay after nearly missing the Silver due to a penalty.
Nethra Kumanon, India’s first female Olympian at the Tokyo Games in Sailing and the top-ranking player of the championship will also be participating. This is her first major tournament after the Olympics where she bagged gold at the Grand Canaria Nationals in Spain. Vaishnavi and Nethra are practising at the venue along with the world’s top participants from across 30 countries.
“We cannot expect Vaishnavi to excel given her limited experience in the Laser but being ranked 2nd she deserves every possibility for exposure at the International level and each experience will add to her capability”, said Suheim Sheikh, President of the Yacht Club of Hyderabad from Oman.
Two Telangana girls Ravali Parandi and Jhansipriya were selected for the Asian Championships being held in Thailand earlier this year. National champion Ravali Parandi secured the ninth position amongst girls in Asia and will get ready for the senior level in the 470 Mixed class event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.