Anchored in grit, sailing on dreams: How a Hyderabad sailing club is steering towards national glory

Thirteen-year-old Naveen, a native of Markapuram in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, was living with his uncle when he was told his parents had passed away. Reeling from the shock, he ran away from home, boarded a random bus, and ended up lost.

The bus conductor handed him over to the railway police at Secunderabad Station, and he was subsequently referred to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Telangana — a district-level authority in India established under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The CWC, in turn, gave custody of Naveen to Thara Home — a shelter for lost and abandoned children — in February 2019.

Over the years, Naveen gradually began to heal from the trauma of his loss. So, when the Yacht Club of Hyderabad (YCH) visited Thara Home as part of its talent identification programme, he was ready to embrace a new beginning. Seven children, including Naveen, were selected for the club’s sailing programme. They were trained for a year before being sent to national-level ranking championships in Mumbai, Shillong, and Hyderabad.

This was just the beginning of an inspirational journey for someone who lost his way so early in life, only to find his way out through sailing. Mentored by Suheim Sheikh, head coach and president at the YCH, Naveen performed well beyond expectations, showing both talent and hunger.

He was recently selected by the Navy Youth Sports Company at INS Mandovi, Goa, under a collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He will now move to Goa to join the Navy Youth Team under a fully sponsored programme.

“Naveen and his cohort have displayed serious keenness for sailing, and many of them are placed among the top 20 in the country. Naveen’s selection is gratifying given his background and the fact that it opens up fresh possibilities for him in the Armed Forces. We would like to see him as a naval officer very soon,” explains Suheim, adding that Akshay Kumar, another orphan, finished 13th at the last Nationals in Shillong.

Also making the cut is 14-year-old Sathwik, a student at Udbhav School, Rasoolpura, who was admitted to the YCH at the age of 11. His father, Parmesh Dhoki, moved to Hyderabad from Erravalli village, Warangal, in 2008 seeking work as a labourer at the Monda vegetable market in Bowenpally, while his mother, Swapna, works as a domestic help in several homes.

With his education, nutrition, and health monitored by the club, Sathwik participated in multiple championships and grew into a strapping young lad. He will now join the Navy Youth Sports Company (NYSC) in Goa alongside Naveen.

“Naveen and his friends were provided with round-the-clock attention, high-level nutrition, and world-class equipment and coaching at the YCH. Now that he’s joining the Navy, we hope he soon becomes a national champion and builds a far-reaching career in the forces,” said Father Jose, who heads Thara Home.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: The YCH has helped 26 of its proteges gain admission into the Army and Navy schools.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

“Naveen, especially, has shown great discipline and diligence during his six years with us. We’re proud that he was first selected by the YCH, and then by the Navy school. There’s no better news for any of our children,” he adds.

Another YCH success story is Rizwan Mohammad. The 15-year-old student at Udbhav School lost his father when he was seven and was raised by his mother, who works as a cook at YCH. Now one of India’s top youth sailors, Rizwan is arguably one of the finest talents the YCH has produced. He consistently wins medals and is currently ranked India No.1 by the Yachting Association of India.

Rizwan walks daily from his small metal hut in Pattigada — a shanty town near the MMTS rail tracks — to the club for yoga, fitness and training. He has already represented India at the Worlds in Plymouth, the British Nationals, and the Langkawi International in Malaysia.

He, too, has now been selected by the NYSC and will soon join Naveen and Sathwik on their journey towards a hopeful career with the Navy.

“For a family like ours, and with no husband to support us, this is a huge boost. I hope Rizwan excels at the Navy school and returns one day in uniform to serve his country,” said Rizwan’s visibly delighted mother.

The YCH has helped 26 of its proteges gain admission into Army and Navy schools — with five of them now serving as officers (two in the Army and three in the Navy). Over the past decade, the club has produced 250 medals, 70 national champions, and 114 sailors who have represented India internationally — including Preethi Kongara, who was selected for the 2023 Asian Games in China and now serves at the centre as a coach.

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“Creating academic and sporting careers for the underprivileged is our primary mission at the Yacht Club Foundation. We seek to recognise and uplift talent from amongst the poorest, taking them out of the vicious cycle of poverty through our motto — Dignity Through Sports,” said Suheim.

The YCH will soon be renamed the YCH Sports Foundation as it expands into allied sports such as rowing, swimming, archery, chess, and kayaking. “With Sathwik, Rizwan and Naveen joining the Navy school in tandem, it’s like an Amar Akbar Anthony moment for Hyderabad sailing,” Suheim adds with a smile.

The next time you see him slogging it out in the waters of Hussain Sagar Lake, know that another champion may be in the making. The lake, with the imposing Lord Buddha statue at its centre and the magnificent State Secretariat building on the bund, may present a spectacular sight.

But for those involved in water sports at the venue, it’s not just an attraction, it is where sailing dreams are born.