Nethra Kumanan Celebrates Historic Bronze at Asian Games 2026

Nethra Kumanan's Journey to the Podium

New Delhi, October 8: Indian sailor Nethra Kumanan has finally achieved her dream of winning a medal at the Asian Games, dedicating her first continental medal to her parents and supporters after a long journey. This milestone comes after her fourth appearance at the Games, where she secured a bronze in the women's dinghy event at the Asian Games 2026, improving from her previous fourth-place finish in Hangzhou.

At 29 years old, Nethra expressed her gratitude upon returning to India, stating, "I want to dedicate this medal to my parents and everyone who believed in me from the start. It’s been a long journey, and finally, I have a medal to show for it. It feels surreal, and I am thankful to so many people who supported me." She achieved a total of 14 points in the final series at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbour, finishing sixth in the first race and winning the second, which secured her third place overall behind competitors from Thailand and Singapore.

Despite her bronze medal, Nethra felt capable of winning gold. "It’s great to be back in India after a challenging month in Japan. I’m a bit disappointed because I know I could have won gold. In sailing, fewer mistakes lead to victory, and I made a few too many. However, I’m happy to return with a bronze and hope to make my country prouder next time," she remarked.

As the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics, Nethra has also participated in the Paris 2024 Games, finishing 35th in Tokyo and 21st in Paris. Looking ahead, she aims to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics and plans to take a short break before resuming training.

"I will take at least two weeks off and then get back to training. The first qualifiers are in January in Brazil, and my goal is to qualify there or in the next continental events," she added.

Nethra's bronze medal marks India's third sailing medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, following silver for Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble in the men's skiff and bronze for Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma in the women's skiff.

Vishnu Saravanan's Experience at the Games

Meanwhile, Vishnu Saravanan finished fourth in the men's dinghy event with 21 points, narrowly missing out on a second consecutive Asian Games medal after winning bronze in Hangzhou. The 27-year-old Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, who has represented India at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, noted that the challenging weather and tidal conditions made the competition particularly tough.

"It was a long month filled with challenges, especially due to the weather. The venue was not typical; it was very tidal and overcast, making it difficult to race. I won’t delve into technical details, but it was a tough competition where anything could happen," Vishnu explained.

Despite not medaling, he expressed happiness for Nethra's success, stating, "I am thrilled for Nethra Kumanan, who finally won a medal after her first Asian Games in 2014. It’s been a long wait, and I’m glad she achieved this milestone." He also praised Harshita Tomar for becoming a two-time Asian Games medallist.

While he missed the podium in Aichi-Nagoya, Vishnu remains focused on his Olympic aspirations, with the qualification process for the LA Games set to begin soon. "The Olympics is my target; I aim to win a medal there. LA is just around a thousand days away, so I’ll take a few days off and then return to training, with our first qualification in January in Brazil," he said.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games also served as a qualification pathway for the LA 2028 Olympics in sailing, providing Indian sailors with immediate goals to build on their performances in Japan.