Havildar Prince Noble (right) and his cousin, Naik Manu Francis, won silver in the men’s skiff event at the Asian Games
The Indian pair finished with 23 points, behind China’s Wen Zaiding and Liu Tian, who took gold with 16.
That is why it was easy for us to start with sailing,” Prince said. India led going into the final day but could not hold off China. “A combination of factors went against us. The contest was decided over nine races, with the lowest aggregate score winning. Prince is from Vypeen and Manu from Varappuzha. The maternal cousins grew up in fishing families along the Keralam coast. “My father was a fisherman and the sea is near our home. So, we are connected to it.
There was pressure on us to sustain our lead coming into today, but silver is what we have to settle for,” Prince told TOI .
Prince’s father, who played a key role in evacuation efforts during the 2018 deluge, died a year later after a leg injury suffered during the operation failed to heal.
Over the years, there’s an understanding between us,” Manu said. Their coach, Sandeep Jain, a retired sub-officer who coaches the 49er team, calls the cousins “dedicated and hardworking” who do not see sailing “as a chore”. I’m sure I have made him proud,” he said. His mother, Bindu Noble, called the win “a blessing from the Almighty”. Prince sounded disappointed at missing out on gold, she said, but added: “I just want him to come back home and spend time here. “Their time is still to come,” he said.
“We grew up together. “I dedicate my silver medal to my father. I rarely get to see him these days. Training and competitions keep him in Spain and Germany. Jain believes the silver is only the beginning. Prince hopes the medal will bring sailing, still a fringe sport, into the spotlight.