A GOLD medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics has surely lifted spirits for many, including those in the Indian Army
A GOLD medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics has surely lifted spirits for many, including those in the Indian Army.
Some of the army men representing India in the sailing competition at the London Olympics 2012 have already started practising and will continue to do so, even in rough seas.
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Practice sessions
The men start their training right from 6 am to hone their skills. "The boys will also sail during monsoon when seas are rough and other boats would have been cleared," said an army officer. These sailors are practising on sailboats wearing gear and suits used in the Olympics.
However, a major hindrance is the lack of facilities. During a media meet, Major General Rajesh Singh, General Officer Commanding, Bison Division, asked one of trainers why our sailors are not able to win medals, even though they put in the effort. "The players are being trained to meet international levels. But we need to maintain facilities provided at international level," replied the officer training the men.
Even the Indian Navy has separate training for sailors. Selection of the sailors for the Olympics will depend on the competitiveness among the forces. Teams are usually selected couple of months prior to the event.
Meanwhile, a group of 16 army subedars went on a sailing expedition on two sailboats to Lakshwadeep, covering nearly 1,200 nautical miles. The motive was to understand maritime difficulties, apart from ecological concerns.
It tested the physical and mental strength of the sailors who had to cook food, carry fresh water and sail using just a GPS compass, apart from sailing day and night without a break.
Subedar Arun Badshah, Madras regiment, who was part of the expedition, said, "The major problems were rains and 10 metre high waves. We had to remain awake even during the night to steer the sailboat." Both sailboats miraculously escaped accidents when they mistook the lights of a ship for a fishing boat, until they were just 10 metres away.
Cost of sailboat: Rs 20,000 (plus)
Weight of sailboat: 58 kg
Cost of gear for sailors: Rs 10,000
Height of sail: Upto 36 metres
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