Asian Games Sailing Medals
India Secures Silver and Bronze Medals in Skiff Sailing at the Asian Games
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Tomar and Verma initially finished fourth on the water; China's Xiaoyu Hu and Yuyue Sun were later disqualified, elevating the Indian pair to third behind Japan and Hong Kong, China.
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Francis and Noble finished second in the final race; besides their Race 3 victory, they placed second in Races 1 and 5.
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Noble said his father, a fisherman, helped shape his connection to the sea, and that he began sailing at 13 in 2009; Francis started a year later, at 14.
India claimed two medals in skiff sailing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on October 1, with Newsable reporting that Manu Francis and Prince Noble secured silver in the men's event while Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma earned bronze in the women's competition. Francis and Noble, cousins from Kerala, finished with 23 net points across nine races, edging out Hong Kong China's 24 points for second place. Tomar and Verma initially placed fourth but moved into bronze after China's team was disqualified by race officials.
Cousins Dominate Men's Skiff With Consistent Racing
Manu Francis and Prince Noble completed a nine-race campaign marked by steady finishes and one dominant victory. According to Daily Hunt, the pair won Race 3 and secured second-place finishes in Races 1, 5, and 9. China's Liu Tian and Wen Zaiding took gold with 16 points, while Hong Kong China claimed bronze. Francis said afterward: "It was tough, very very tough. We didn't know we were in the silver medal position."
Both sailors trained through the Army Yachting Node in Mumbai. Noble, 30, began sailing at 13 in 2009 after growing up near the sea in Kerala. His father, a fisherman, died during Kerala's devastating 2018 floods. Francis, 31, started sailing a year later at 14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the pair, praising their determination and progress in the sport.
Chinese Team's Disqualification Lifts Tomar and Verma to Podium
India's women's skiff team initially finished fourth in the water after completing their race series. Sports Cape Magazine reported that race officials later disqualified China's Xiaoyu Hu and Yuyue Sun following a technical review. The penalty moved Tomar and Verma into third place with 24 net points, behind Japan and Hong Kong China.
Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma secured India's second medal of the day in dramatic fashion. The disqualification meant the podium was finalized hours after the racing ended, shifting India from outside medal contention to a bronze medal finish in the women's 49er Skiff competition.
Historic First Sailing Medal for India at Asian Games
Daily Hunt confirmed that Francis and Noble's silver marks India's first-ever men's skiff medal at the Asian Games. India's previous best finish in the 49er event was bronze at Jakarta 2018, won by Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy. The two medals brought India's overall Asian Games tally to 62 medals, including 10 gold, 22 silver, and 30 bronze.
The sailing success reflects years of institutional work by the Indian Army and the National Sailing School in Bhopal. Francis and Noble trained together through Muziris Yachting Club in Kerala before entering the military sports pipeline. Both sailors previously won bronze medals at the 2022 Asian Sailing Championships in Abu Dhabi and the 2023 championships in Pattaya.
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