Nethra Kumanan – India’s First Female Sailor at the Olympics Is Ready for Take 2

Nethra Kumanan became the first female Indian sailor at the Tokyo Olympics. 3 years later, she is ready to go again.

Sailor Nethra Kumanan will be celebrating her 27th birthday only a couple of weeks following the completion of her event – women’s ILCA6 – at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Needless to say, the Marseille Marina will witness an experienced Nethra. But the Nethra that Incheon’s Wangsan Marina witnessed in 2014 was a novice.

There, a 17-year-old Nethra, effervescent and spirited, but not without the impetuousness of youth, embarked on her first major international journey at the 2014 Asian Games.

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Prior to her Paris expedition, Nethra reminisces about her teenage days in Incheon. Certainly, she has travelled a long distance.

Nethra tells The Quint:

I was into a lot of different things, but I remember, sailing became the priority when I qualified for the 2014 Asian Games. It was something I had not expected at all, and it happened at a time when I had a long holiday in school. I thought, Asian Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, why not give it everything?

Nethra Kumanan

It is inexplicable that after becoming wiser, exuberance’s tomfoolery remains as all but memories to cherish.

I was so young during the 2014 Asian Games! I would do a lot of stupid things. I crashed on my bike once. Then one day, I forgot to tie down the rudder, which is a very important thing to do in sailing. Oh! I remember loads of foolish things. But it was my first time going out of India, and I will never forget that experience.

Nethra Kumanan

Jokes and recollections being done, we are now introduced to her intense trait.

A lot has changed over the last 10 years. I am definitely a different person. I have been living in Spain for nearly the last 5 years. My character and mentality towards the sport has changed. I have had my ups and downs, but the trajectory is good right now. I am on the up.

Nethra Kumanan

From Bharatnatyam and Kalaripayattu To Sailing

Be it that she represented India at the Asian Games barely a month after turning 17, but Nethra had not started sailing very early. As a kid, rather, she was involved in a plethora of disciplines, from the dance form Bharatnatyam to the martial art form Kalaripayattu.

Me and my brother (Naveen Kumanan) have tried a number of sports. Our parents told us to prioritise studies, but also encouraged us to remain active outside academics. I was learning classical music, Bharatnatyam, Kalaripayattu, and also art. Sailing came into my life very late, during a summer camp.

Nethra Kumanan

So, among everything she was doing, what led to the inclination towards sailing?

Nethra explains:

Sailing was something which took a lot of my time. I used to go early in the morning with my brother, sail for the entire day, and return only after the sun had gone down. Among all the things that I was doing at that time, sailing was the most time-consuming activity, so it naturally became a habit.

Nethra Kumanan

Days of Contemplation, Considering the Expenses

Vishnu Saravanan – another Indian sailor at the Olympics – had informed The Quint about the financial hardships experienced whilst pursuing sailing, usually regarded as a sport of the affluent.

Nethra, despite her father running an IT firm and her mother being a Human Resource professional, has had instances where she contemplated her future in the sport and whether to continue pursuing it, given the expenses.

I have had numerous days where it seemed that it would be difficult to sustain the career path I had chosen. But fortunately, I have had support from all around. My family has also been supportive, our federation has helped me, and now that I am at the Olympics, SAI has also helped a lot.

Nethra Kumanan

Now that she is at the big stages, Nethra inspires the next generation to try the sport.

Sailing is an expensive sport. There is no doubt about that. But I would encourage our people to at least give it a try. You just need to join a club, and I think within Rs 4,000 you can borrow all the equipment and start sailing. Of course, it will be challenging when you will need to borrow your own stuff, but when you become good at it, a lot of people will come forward and support you.

Nethra Kumanan

The History Makers

Paris will not be Nethra’s first shot at the Olympics, for three years ago, she also competed at the Tokyo Olympics. That, she finished 35th, is a postscript. What was incredibly more important was that Nethra became the first female Indian sailor to participate at the Olympics, and the first Indian sailor to be at the Olympics by virtue of topping a qualification event – not because quotas were not filled.

Looking back at her achievements, she says:      

We made history for the country. Don’t get me wrong, we have has a history of sailing. There have been Indian sailors in the Olympics before me. But we were the first to get direct qualification. There were four of us (Nethra, Vishnu Saravanan, KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar) who grew up together. More than anything else, we brought attention to the sport. All of a sudden, Indians were interested in the sport. Everyone started talking about sailing.

Nethra Kumanan

Can India Bridge the Gap With Europeans in Sailing?

Having put India on the map of sailing, Nethra now dreams of bridging the gap with European nations.

There is a massive gap between us and Europe. A few factors work in their favour. Firstly, most of the events take place in Europe and those countries are close to each other, so you can just drive your car from one country to another. Besides that, the Europeans have a culture for sailing. Their kids spend their evenings sailing, we don’t have that culture here.

Nethra Kumanan

As new sailing hubs are opening up, Nethra believes the process of bridging the gap has already been triggered.

Sailing is still at its early stages in India, but it is growing. More places are coming up, there are two coming up in Tamil Nadu itself – one in Chennai, the other one in Rameshwaram. People are getting to know us, they are interested in knowing what sailing is all about.

Nethra Kumanan

She is wise enough to admit Indians are not in a position to win Olympic medals, but ambitious enough to dream that the scenario will change – if not immediately, then, eventually.

We have already put India on the map of sailing. People know us, they respect us – this is something I am very proud of. As of now, Vishnu is definitely capable of getting into the top 10, and that is my target as well. Yes, we are not in a position to win Olympic medals in sailing yet, but we will soon be there. It’s not impossible.

Nethra Kumanan

Target for Paris? Top 10.

As for her Olympic preparation, Nethra says:

I am just focused on enjoying competing at the Olympics. I had a difficult run last year but have since improved. I am getting back to my best. Olympics is something not many get the opportunity to be at, so I am just grateful that I will be there.

Nethra Kumanan

She has also earmarked a target for herself. A rather pragmatic one.

I have set a target for myself. In our category, there are about 45 competitors and only the top 10 of those will qualify for the final, which is the medal race. My goal is to be a part of the medal race. If I manage to achieve that, I will be quite proud of myself.

Nethra Kumanan

Before embarking on her mission of being in the top 10, Nethra acknowledges the support she has received in her career from the Dream Sports Foundation.

In the early years of my career, I wanted to be a perfectionist. So, I used to overthink a lot and it would affect me. Fortunately, Dream Sports Foundation helped me with a sports psychologist. They have also provided support with nutrition, strength & conditioning, and other areas.

Nethra Kumanan