Delayed Asiad a blessing for Neha Thakur

PTI

New Delhi, September 26

When the Asian Games were delayed by a year owing to the Covid-19 situation in China, it wreaked havoc with the schedule of many athletes, but for Indian sailor Neha Thakur, it proved to be a blessing in disguise.

Neha won silver in the girl’s dinghy ILCA-4 event. But, had the Games been held last year, Neha would not have been a part of the team as Ritika Dangi was the India No. 1 in the event back then.

However, Ritika, who was originally the Indian qualifier for the Asian Games, exceeded the age limit and was rendered ineligible as the ILCA-4 class is meant for under-17 girls. So the rising Neha, who had clinched a bronze in the Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi last year, became the automatic choice.

“Ritika was set to take part in the Asian Games, but she was unfortunate to go out of the age bracket after turning 18 this year,” National Sailing School (NSS) coach Anil Sharma said. Neha was among the four other girls from the NSS to appear for national trials. “She trained for three months in Spain and her improvement has been remarkable. We plan to put her with Ritika in the senior women’s ILCA-6, which is an Olympics category. Hopefully, she can make it to Paris, that’s the next target,” the coach said.

Belonging to farming family from Amaltaj village, about 120km from Bhopal, Neha got her career breakthrough after being picked for the NSS during their 2017 talent-hunt programme.

The then 14-year-old did not have any distinctive features but the NSS coaches picked Neha as her father and cousins were tall. “Height gives an advantage in sailing, but at this young age it’s difficult to make out who will grow tall, so we go through the family details. Her father is very tall,” Sharma said.

Her stint at the Bhopal-based academy began with the under-15 optimist class. “She also began to grow taller and made rapid progress,” he said.

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