n Goan Coelho siblings practice with old windsurfing boards n With just four days to go, coach-cum-father air-dashes from Jakarta to Singapore to pick up new boards n questions remain over sanction of boards
Armstrong Vaz
QATAR
With barely four days left for the Asian Games RS:One Mixed Team sailing event, Donald coach-cum-father of Coelho siblings, Dayne and Katya, should have been concentrating on serious preparations for the event.
But that has not happened. Lack of proper equipment has taken the wind out of the sails of these two promising Goan sailors. And instead, the two will have to practice on their own while their father air-dashes from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore to pick up windsurfing boards.
“Tomorrow is the registration day and I am flying to Singapore today to pick up equipment,” informed Donald, who himself is a three-time national champion in windsurfing.
The RS:One Mixed Team event is been held for the first time at the Asian Games. At the last championship in South Korea, India got one bronze medal in sailing through Varsha Gautham and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan in the 29er category.
“It’s so sad being the only Goans at the Asian Games and that too for the first time we have qualified in windsurfing. But it is very sad that what we requested Sports Authority of Goa for two windsurfing boards… a request which was made four months back never materialised. We left for the Asian Games with old boards,” lamented the Baga-based 44-year-old Donald.
Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) Executive Director V M Prabhudessai, however, said that request for two windsurfing boards has got the government approval.
“The proposal is cleared by the Goa government,” informed the SAG official without elaborating as to whether it was cleared after they left for the Asian Games on August 3 or before.
Goa Yatching Association (GYA) President Siddharth Satardekar said the proposal for two windsurfing boards was made to SAG in April but as the final team for the Games was not announced nothing moved.
“No matter when Donald sent the proposal, it could only be processed after the team for the Asian Games was declared,” said Satardekar.
Windsurfing as a sport has and will always face equipment problems due to the huge cost, said the GYA President.
“Due to the high cost of equipment, I believe the procedures for approval of procurement by any government department is tedious and the approvals required are many,” Satardekar said.
He also informed that the file has been cleared last month but was not forthcoming on the exact date the approval was accorded by the government.
“The file for the procurement of this equipment has been approved and amount sanctioned. I do not have the exact dates of the file being sanctioned but SAG had cleared and forwarded the file from their end in July itself.”
Explaining the sequence of events he said: “The team for the Asian Games was announced by Yachting Association of India only after the Asian Sailing Championships which took place in Jakarta in June 2018. The application for equipment was duly forwarded to SAG by GYA after the Selection Trials held in Chennai by YAI in April 2018. However, the YAI was to announce the final squad only after the Asian Sailing Championships held in Jakarta in June 2018 as per direction of IOA.”
SAG has the option of funding talented and potential sportsmen for international exposure to improve the overall standard of sports in Goa and both the Coelho siblings have benefitted in the past, GYA official said.
“Windsurfing is an expensive sport when it comes to equipment. This is also the reason that many people in India, unless supported by Government or private enterprise, cannot afford this sport. Due to this fact SAG has on various occasions in the past approved and reimbursed international participation of Goan Sailors to improve the standard of the sport in the state. GYA is grateful to SAG for this. Dayne and Katya Coelho, both, have received funds from SAG on the recommendation of GYA on more than one occasion for international exposure,” he added.
Satardekar said GYA aims to spread and popularize the game in the state.
“The aim of GYA is to broadbase the sport and provide maximum opportunities to Goans to learn and progress. In line with this GYA has always been in the forefront in holding training camps for children every year. Off course more coaches and equipment would have and will always help us.
Meanwhile, Dayne is determined to give his best.
“I have an earnest desire to leave something in this world and a profound desire to rub it in the face of anyone who doubted me Dayne Coelho wrote on a Facebook post with a picture of his draped in the Indian tri-colour after winning a medal in January this year at the 37th Singapore open windsurfing championship.
Dayne wants to prove his detractors wrong.
The Coelho’s pursuit to get an Asian Games ticket can be attributed to individual acts of brilliance without much help from the system as they have been trained by Donald from a very young age.
