ISAF Asian Games- Silver lining for Tarapore

by Deccan Herald Agency on 21 Nov 2010 At the ISAF Asian Games in Guangzhou, veteran sailor Farokh Tarapore added another feather to his cap when he led India to silver success in Open Match Racing on Saturday.

Tarapore, competing in his eighth Asian Games, in the company of Balraj Singh, Trunal Helegaonkar, Atool Sinha and Shekhar Singh Yadav, finished behind Wataru Sakamoto’s Japan team at the Shanwei Water Sports Centre.

Japan were clearly superior in the best-of-five final, winning it 3-0. But the Japanese, who were the favourites, after finishing on the podium at the Asian Match Racing championship in Malaysia a few weeks ago, almost did not make it after trailing fourth in the league.

South Korea bagged the bronze after struggling in the last set of races. They were in lead at the end of the second round-robin but could not take advantage of that in the end.

Coach Naresh Yadav said strong winds hampered India’s progress in the finals. 'We could have won the gold had it not been for the heavy winds that upset our calculations. They favoured the Japanese as we practice in lighter winds back home in Mumbai,' Yadav said.

India qualified for the final races after coming back from 0-2 down to sail past China, who fielded an all-female team. They seemed on their way out but fought back superbly to deny the hosts the shot at another gold medal. 'We decided to take it one race at a time and went through,' said Yadav.

The 50-year-old Tarapore’s journey began at the 1982 Asian Games when sailing events were organised in Mumbai.

He won the Fireball class gold as crew of Zarir Karanjia then and then went on to win bronze medals in the 1986, 1990 and 1994 Games at Seoul, Beijing and Hiroshima respectively. He had finished fifth in the Doha Asian Games four years back.

Before embarking for Guangzhou, he had sounded confident of winning a medal here in this event, considered the Twenty20 version of sailing.

Seasoned sailaor Farokh Tarapore, a four-time medallist, and two-time podium finisher Rajesh Choudhary will lead India's challenge in the November 12-27 Guangzhou Asian Games sailing competitions.

Veteran Tarapore had won the Fireball class gold medal as crew of Zarir Karanjia in the 1982 Asian Games sailing regatta held off the Mumbai harbour and also picked up a hat-trick of bronze medals in the Asian Games held between 1986 and 1994.

After finishing third in the 470 class of boats at the Asian in Seoul, Beijing and Hiroshima, the 50-year-old Tarapore has turned his eye on Match Racing at the Guangzhou Games. He would race with teammates Atool Sinha, Shekhar Yadav, Trunal Helegaonkar and Balraj Singh.