Unaffected by Mocha, All India Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Championship ends in Chennai

The championship started on May 11 and was a ranking event to select Team India for the Asian Games this year and for other International competitions.

The Championship saw the participation of top Windsurfers and Kiteboarders from over 15 states representing 14 Clubs including the Indian Army and Indian Navy Sailing Clubs across the country. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The first-ever HSBC All India Windsurfing & Kiteboarding Championship conducted by the Chennai Sailing Academy (CSA) under the aegis of Tamil Nadu Sailing Association (TNSA) ended successfully at Surf Turf in Kovalam off ECR on Sunday.

It was supported by the Youth Welfare & Sports Development Department of Tamil Nadu.

Vijay More from The Army Yachting Node clinched gold in Raceboard class, followed by Shekhar Rao (Odisha Yachting Association (OYA)) and K. Gowtham (Indian Navy Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), Goa), respectively.

In RS: One, Ganesh Vishvakarma of the Trishna Sailing Club finished first, while Narayan M (OYA) and N. Vamsi (INWTC) bagged the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The Championship started on May 11 and was a ranking event to select Team India at the Asian Games 2023 and other International competitions.

Among the events featuring at the championship were IKA Formula Kite and iQFOiL – two disciplines which will make their debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Conducting the tournament initially became a challenge – with the cyclone Mocha knocking on the door – but eventually, it came off smoothly.

Ajit Diaz, the president of CSA and one of the founding members of TNSA told The Hindu that Mocha affected the tournament plans all of a sudden.

“We never expected a storm to pass over the Bay of Bengal. So, everything that we planned over the last six months got topsy-turvy, in terms of wind, depth, swell and current,” he said.

“For instance, the way the wind changes on our coastline is from the land breeze to sea breeze, whereas in the past four days, it was happening in a haphazard manner.”

All’s well that ends well: Conducting the tournament initially became a challenge – with the cyclone Mocha knocking on the door – but eventually, it came off smoothly. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Championship saw the participation of top Windsurfers and Kiteboarders from over 15 states representing 14 Clubs including the Indian Army and Indian Navy Sailing Clubs across the country.