The Hindu : Sport / Sailing : Laser Radial: separate competition for women

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 26, 2005

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Sport - Sailing

Laser Radial: separate competition for women

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: For the first time in the history of the Laser National sailing championships, there will be a separate competition for women in the Laser Radial category from this year. The 20th edition of the event will be held as usual at the Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, from August 18 to 23.

Speaking to The Hindu, Lt. Col. Milind V. Prabhu, secretary Laser Class Association of India (LCAI), said the new section would be introduced in view of the creation of such a category for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, for which the sport's apex body hoped to field a squad. "About half a dozen women sailors have already sent in their entries for the Hyderabad Sailing Week," he said.

Asian champion Rajesh Choudhary will be among 30 sailors in the men's standard rig and about 35 in the radial rig categories from across the country, said Col. A.G. Shirodkar, who will team up with Prabhu and Lt. Col. Kevin D'Souza to oversee the conduct of the championship.

The six-day, 18 race event will be held under the aegis of the LCAI, whose president is Lt. General V.C. Jain, Commandant, Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME). Lt. Gen. Jain will be assisted by Major General Kamal Kumar, Deputy Commandant.The event that's to be jointly conducted by the EME Sailing Association, the Secunderabad Club, A.P. Tourism and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, has no sponsor so far for its Rs. 7 lakh outlay. Among the officials for the event are Arjuna Awardee and International Judge (IJ) C.S. Pradipak, who will chair the Jury committee, Lt. Col. (Retd.) Col. M.P. Jaggi, who will be the race officer and National sailing coach Lt. Col. Gautama Dutta.

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