Sailing returns with a bang in Hyderabad after 2 years amid COVID-19 pandemic

In a first,

Durgam Cheruvu

witnessed sailing activity as 20 sailors set sail on the eve of Independence Day. It was a sight to behold as city folk gathered in large numbers to witness the event which heralded the sailing season on a rainy Saturday evening.

“The

HMDA

has given permission to the

Yacht

club to access the lake for sports like sailing, kayaking and canoeing. Since there was not enough time to host a tournament here just yet, we decided to host a preview sailing event at Durgam Cheruvu. It’s a great location for our young sailors to practise and compete. We felt it was fitting to start the sailing season here and we plan to also run regattas at Durgam Cheruvu in the future,” says

Suheim Sheikh

, president of the

Yacht Club of Hyderabad

.

The event was a precursor to the Hyderabad Sailing Week which was flagged off by Telangana Governor

Tamilisai Sounderajan

on Friday. The sailing championship, which will get underway at the Hussain Sagar today, will see budding and professional sailors from across the country vie for top honours in various categories.

Amol Kumar, a techie from Gachibowli, says, “I always enjoy watching water sports and often get to watch them when I travel abroad. This is the first time I’m getting to see sailors in action right here in Hyderabad and it feels amazing. I hope this becomes the venue for all water sports in the future.”