Sailing: Coelho’s
journey through the storms in the sea
“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....,” says
Indian sailing team member at the ongoing Asian Games Dayne Coelho in a
facebook post with a picture of his draped in the Indian tri-colour after
winning a medal at the 37th Singapore open windsurfing championship this year.
Dayne wants to prove his detractors wrong. Cold shouldered
and neglected by Sports Authority of Goa the teenager is scripting his own
success story against all odds… thanks in large measure to his sportingly
inclined family.
The Indian sports system is fraught with bureaucratic red
tape, political interference, conflicts of interest and corruption and the
Coelho family has had a bitter firsthand experience.
Dayne along with sister Katya Coelho are the only athletes
from the coastal state of Goa who are part of the Indian sailing team at the
ongoing Asian Games in Jakarta Indonesia.
Coached by their father Donald, a former national windsurfing
champion for three consecutive years from 2010-12, the Coelho siblings will be vying
for medals in the mixed event on August 24.
But making it to the Games has not been an easy story. They
have been neglected in their home by a government, which did little to support the
athletic prowess of the two talented youngsters.
Lack of transparency, poor asset management and an absence
of a framework for measuring impact of public spending has been the hall mark
of Sports Authority of Goa, the sports wing of the Goa government which has
stone walled the athletes request for 2 windsurfing boards.
The Coelho’s pursuit to get an Asian Games ticket can be
attributed to individual acts of brilliance without much help from the system.
The two Goans attained the qualifying mark for the Asian
games at the Yachting Association of India (YAI) selection trials held in April
16-22 in Chennai.
The trials were held to select the top sailors for inclusion
in the Indian Sailing Team for the 17th Asian Sailing Championship that was
held from June 18-24 and the Asian Games 2018.
“We thank YAI (Yachting Association of India) especially,
Capt. Ajay Narang Member Task Force 2020, who stood by Goan talent and strongly
recommended case to MYAS/SAI for training programme in Thailand under the Thai
coach for 21 days in month of May in preparation for the Asian Games 2018. The
most disheartening is our state association (Goan Yatching Association), the
proposal for procurement of 2 windsurfing boards is still pending for more than
4 months. Katya and Dayne with their zero self esteem, ready for departure with
the old equipment,” coach-cum-father Donald said on the eve of the departure to
Indonesia.
“The proposal for two windsurfing boards was put up nearly 4
months ago. This should have been their top priority so they can perform
better, now they have gone (for the Asian Games) with their old equipment which
has seen a lot of wear and tear,” lamented Nelita Coelho, maternal aunt of the
participating sailors in a post on facebook.
“Indeed, "Historic moment" for the state of Goa to
be a part of the Indian Contingent at
the “Asian Games”2018, (but), If the sports authorities cannot help even
after proving their talent, then what else is left. Goa can never shine,” she added.
“The state has so much of talent but the sports authorities
step motherly treatment shown and corruption galore it took these two so many
years to come this and even then their eyes have not opened,” she added, while
requesting all to share so that “so we can bring out all the scams and
skeletons in the department to get justice for our Goan budding talent.”
Dayne (20) and Katya (19) have been taking part in the Youth
Olympic Class for boys and girls over the last few years and they will be
competing in the RS:One Mixed Team event whcihis open for sailors below the age
of 22 years.
The RS:One Mixed Team event is been held for the first time
at the Asian Games.
Dayne who has been training individually for the last 3
years in preparation for the Asian games and demonstrated his excellence
achieving silver and bronze medal at 37th Singapore open windsurfing
championship 2018 in RS: One Class. Men and Youth category.
Katya, a student of Ardee School, Porvorim, Sangolda, Penha
de França was the first Indian girl to represent India at Youth Olympic 2014,
held in China and she is eager to give her best.
“I am so proud of my kids; it’s one of the happiest days of
my life as it was my dream as much as theirs to win a medal for the country. It
was a proud moment for us, as Indians, to see the Indian flag flying high on
the shores of Singapore and making it all the more special was the fact that we
celebrated this victory together on the eve of our 66th Republic Day,” Donald
had said after Dayne’s win in Singapore this year.
Donald himself was spellbound by the sport when he was
introduced to it at the age of 20. Donald has been the National Champion in
Windsurfing for three consecutive years (2010, 2011, 2012). He wanted his
children to show the same enthusiasm towards the sport and they didn’t
disappoint him.
“It was in 2006-07 when I had gone to Italy for a
competition that I saw small kids taking to the sea with great equipment. I
bought the equipment for Dayne and since he used to watch me participate in the
Nationals, he took to the water quite naturally,” recalls Donald.
Dayne and Katya have a set schedule for their studies and
their training. “We practise every day regardless of the wind conditions as we
can’t predict any weather conditions for the competitions. From 2.30pm to 5pm,
we train in the sea. I go by the coach boat to brief them while they practise
their techniques under my guidance. Katya has very good techniques while Dayne
loves strong winds,” explains Donald. Besides training in the water, the
youngsters also spend 90 minutes in the gym, training core muscles.
Donald’s dedication towards the sport is not limited to his
family. In 2009, Donald formed the Goa Beach Sport Academy which conducts
annual camps for people interested. Although Donald hopes the popularity of the
sport picks up in Goa, he acknowledges that the cost of equipment, which is a
minimum of Rs 1 lakh, as well as the fact that parents are unsure about the
seriousness of the sport in their child’s life, are drawbacks that need to be
tackled. But he’s facing these challenges with full optimism.
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