Ernakulam (Kerala), Oct 16 (IANS) Malayali athletes Manu Francis and Prince Noble Kurishingal, who won silver medals in sailing at the recently concluded 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, were given a grand reception at Nedumbassery Airport near Ernakulam on Friday.
Family members, friends and Varapuzha Panchayat President Viju Chullikkad welcomed the athletes on their arrival.
On the occasion, the athletes said they had to overcome tough challenges on the final day on their way to a silver medal. They also had to tackle strong winds caused by a cyclone and overcome minor mistakes and technical problems with the boat during the race.
As a result of those setbacks on the final day, they slipped to fourth position but managed to return to second place with an excellent performance in the final race. Although the team that finished third had the same points, Manu and Prince secured silver based on the race finishing positions.
The athletes said sailing is a very interesting sport with numerous opportunities and encouraged more people to take up the sport. Their achievement has brought pride to the country and Kerala.
The Ernakulam natives Manu Francis and Prince Noble secured the silver medal in the men’s sailing skiff category. The duo won silver with 23 net points through their impressive performance in nine races.
Prince Noble and Manu Francis clinched the silver medal in the men’s skiff event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. However, their journey to the podium was filled with mixed emotions, as the duo came close to winning gold before facing the possibility of missing out on a medal altogether.
Though the final result left them a bit disappointed, as with some luck, they could have won the gold medal, the silver medal completed a sensational turnaround for the childhood friends who started their journey in Kerala and sailed through the waves in Nagoya to secure a memorable win.–IANS
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