Telangana Reuters: Our Correspondent, Mr. J. Pavan
Hyderabad, 21stย July, 2026 : The Closing Ceremony of the 1st ILCA Open India International Sailing Championship & YAI 40th Hyderabad Sailing Week 2026 was held at EME Sailing Association (EMESA), Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad on 18 Jul 2026. Lt Gen Neeraj Varshney, AVSM, VSM, Commandant, Military College of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Colonel Commandant, Corps of EME & Commodore, EMESA, presided over the ceremony & felicitated the winners, marking the successful culmination of a week of exhilarating world-class sailing competition on the waters of Hussain Sagar.
Addressing the gathering, Gen Varshney reflected on the successful realisation of the vision to host India’s first International ILCA Open Championship at the pristine waters of Hussain Sagar, reaffirming the four-decade legacy of EMESA as a pioneer in Indian sailing that has nurtured Olympians, Arjuna Awardees & generations of accomplished sailors. He highlighted sailing as a sport that instils discipline, resilience, patience, self-reliance & leadership, encouraging participants to embrace both headwinds & tailwinds as lessons for life. Congratulating all sailors, he emphasised that participation & perseverance are the true hallmarks of success & expressed confidence that the championship would continue to attract greater international participation in the years ahead.
Quoting Christopher Columbus, “If you have to cross the oceans, you have to leave the shore,” he urged the participants to pursue new horizons with courage, determination & an unwavering spirit of excellence.
Hosted by EMESA under the aegis of MCEME in association with ILCA & YAI, the championship witnessed the participation of 124 sailors, including 19 women & girl participants, representing 19 Sailing Clubs & Institutions from premier Army, Navy & Civilian Sailing Establishments, along with international entries. The successful conduct of the championship across the ILCA-7, ILCA-6 (Men & Women) & ILCA-4 (Boys & Girls) classes further reinforced Hyderabad’s & EMESA’s standing as a premier destination for competitive sailing in India.
