Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women’s dinghy event, securing her first Asian Games medal in her fourth appearance
The two-time Olympian finished third with 14 points, behind Thailand’s Sophia Montgomery and Singapore’s Jania Ang
Vishnu Saravanan finished fourth in the men’s event, while India had already won silver and bronze in sailing on Thursday
Asian Games 2026: Nethra Kumanan Ends Long Wait For Sailing Medal With Women’s Dinghy Bronze
Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women’s dinghy event at the Asian Games 2026, securing her first medal at the continental showpiece in her fourth appearance. The two-time Olympian finished third with 14 points, while Vishnu Saravanan narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the men’s event
Summary
Nethra Kumanan finally broke through for an Asian Games medal on Friday, claiming bronze in the women’s dinghy event to register her first podium finish at the continental Games.
The 29-year-old from Chennai, competing at her fourth Asian Games and a two-time Olympian, finished third with 14 points. Thailand’s Sophia Montgomery topped the standings with five points to win gold, while Singapore’s Jania Ang finished second with 13 points.
Nethra began the final stage with seven points from the qualification races and added another seven across the two final races. She produced her best result in the penultimate race, finishing first, before coming sixth in the other to hold on to third place overall.
In sailing, points are awarded according to finishing position in each race, with the winner receiving one point. Since the lowest cumulative score determines the final standings, consistency across the races is crucial.
The bronze capped a long Asian Games journey for Nethra, who had previously competed at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions. She finished fourth at two of those Games, narrowly missing out on a medal on both occasions.
India narrowly missed another medal in the men’s event, with Vishnu Saravanan finishing fourth despite a strong finish to his campaign. The 27-year-old Olympian came second in both final races, but his 17 points from the qualification stage took his overall tally to 21.
Korea’s Jeemin Ha won the men’s dinghy gold with nine points, followed by Hong Kong, China’s Nicholas Halliday on 11. Malaysia’s Mohd Khairulnizam completed the podium with 14 points.
Saravanan, who won bronze at the previous Asian Games, was unable to add another medal to his tally this time.
India had already enjoyed a successful day in sailing on Thursday, with Manu Francis and Kurisinkal Noble winning silver in the men’s skiff, while Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma secured bronze in the women’s event.
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With PTI Inputs
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