Veteran sailor wins lifetime award for 40 years in sport

HYDERABAD: Founder president of the Yacht Club of Hyderabad and veteran sailor Suheim Sheikh was recently honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Yachting Association of India (YAI), recognising his four decades of contribution to the sport.Sheikh said the award feels “particularly special” because the recognition comes from peers. “I started sailing when I was about 10 or 12 years old. The sport was a constant part of my life ever since, both as a sailor and as an administrator,” he said.Gave up career in softwareSheikh founded the Yacht Club of Hyderabad in 2009, after giving up his career in software to pursue his passion. Located at Sanjeevaiah Park on Hussainsagar, the club has since trained over 1,200 young sailors, who together won 254 national medals and 28 international laurels.“At any given time, around 100 young sailors are trained at the club, with continuous efforts to scout and groom new talent,” said Sheikh.He shared how all the sailors come from humble backgrounds, with parents working as daily wagers, construction labourers, or earning less than Rs 1,000 a day. The club goes beyond training by supporting students with education, nutrition, and healthcare expenses.Recently, two young sailors — Lahiri Komaravalli (15) from Siddipet and Eswa Suragani (14) from Suryapet — emerged as strong contenders for the Asian Games, winning the first two selection trials. Both come from extremely vulnerable backgrounds.Speaking from the Asian Games trials in Mumbai, Lahiri praised his coach, saying, “Suheim sir gives us great training. Even if we don’t understand at first, he makes us practise until we get it. Of course, 40 years of experience is a lot, and he deserves this achievement. I am very happy for him, and this motivates us to do better in competitions.”In the Olympic-class 49er FX category, sailors Dharani and Tanuja finished second and are on their way to being named reserves for the Asian Games. Both are national champions and regularly compete in senior international events.Wants to double club’s strengthOutlining future plans, the veteran sailor said the club aims to double its strength to 200 sailors in the coming year. He has also been entrusted with the responsibility of holding national sailing championships, which will be held in Mumbai from Feb 7.“The only way to grow a sport is to have more athletes. Our focus is to expand participation and grow sailing in a big way,” Sheikh told TOI .He also thanked the Telangana govt for its infrastructural support, including jetties, boat sheds, gym facilities, and office space and lauded the Yachting Association of India for maintaining a transparent and fair selection system.