Vishnu Saravanan and Neeraj Chopra are both in the same city – Paris. And, will be participating in the same competition – the Olympics – but in different events. Vishnu, in sailing. Neeraj, in javelin throw.
Eight years ago, however, they competed in the same event, albeit in different age categories. Around the time Neeraj was working his way up the ladder in javelin seniors – then far from the phenomenon he is today – Vishnu was competing in the javelin juniors.
Ahead of his event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Vishnu tells The Quint:
I tried a number of sports, and I was really good at most of those. Maybe because of my long hands and feet (laughs). I made it to the nationals in javelin, where Neeraj Chopra was my senior. I was 16 at that time. I had tried javelin for only a month, but because I was a quick learner, it did not take me long to be good at it. In fact, I was good enough to be at the nationals with just a month’s training, but not good enough to win a medal.”Vishnu Saravanan
So, why sailing?
The answer explained it all.
I was into basketball, football and table tennis as well. But I was competing in all of those sports just for fun, while at the back of my mind, I knew that sailing is the sport I would seriously pursue.Vishnu Saravanan
Living a Father’s Unrealised Dream
Ramachandran Saravanan, Vishnu’s father, has his own storied background. He was in the Indian Army, but that is not his only identity. He was once a sailor, and even before that, a rower, and might have represented India at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, had it not been for internal politics.
My father used to work in the Indian Army, and he was also into rowing. He even was supposed to represent India at the 1998 Asian Games, but unfortunately, internal politics prevented him from doing so. I don’t know the specifics, never had the courage to ask him. But that made him quit rowing and he started a new sport – sailing. He really enjoyed it, and yet again, wanted to represent the nation at big events. Unfortunately, he was a bit too old by then so he decided to give up on his dreams as a sailor, and instead focus on living his dream through his kids, that is myself and my sister (Ramya Saravanan).Vishnu Saravanan
Now 25, Vishnu’s tryst with the boat began 17 years ago, when he was 8. And in these 17 years, he has never, for once, felt out of love with the sport.
I was just 8 when my father put me inside the boat, and he has been with me in every step of the journey throughout all these years. It did not take long for me to love this sport. As a kid, I loved the fact that I could take the boat to whichever way I wanted. It was just pure excitement that got me hooked. What also worked is that I have always loved being close to nature.Vishnu Saravanan
Financial Hardships Faced During the Pursuit of Affluent
Owing to the plethora of equipment required, alongside the hefty investment necessary for the boat – costing around Rs 10 lakh – sailing is often seen as a pursuit for the affluent
Vishnu, though supported by the Army and Sports Authority of India (SAI), shares tales of his hardships:
There are always financial hardships in this sport. It requires a huge investment. I am fortunate that the Army supported me in my career. All of my initial training was at the Army Yachting Node in Colaba. SAI has also supported me with foreign coaches. But despite all of that, there are still challenges. I am thankful to my father for being a great facilitator, as he never made his kids realise what he was going through. He did not use his life savings to build homes or buy materialistic things, as people normally do. Instead, he spent all of his savings on me and my sister’s sailing careers.Vishnu Saravanan
Living in Valencia, & the Challenges of Sailing in India
Considering sailing is a sport dominated by the Europeans, Vishnu has shifted his base to Valencia in Spain. He informs:
I spend most of the year in Valencia. My coach lives there, the conditions are perfect for sailing, and ours is also a very Europe-dominated sport, so finding sailing partners in Spain is not difficult.Vishnu Saravanan
Vishnu also outlines the challenges a sailor has to face in India:
It is very challenging. Firstly, there are plenty of restrictions in India. Say if I want to take my boat from Chennai to Mumbai, I would not be able to do that on the road, while I can roam freely in Europe. Moreover, if you want a European sailing partner, you will have to invite him and bear his expenses. The weather is also very hot. I spend four hours in the water every day in Valencia – if I do that here in India, I would definitely die! You lose 3000kcal immediately while sailing. So, it is just more effective to live abroad as a sailor.Vishnu Saravanan
The Epiphany in Croatia
Athletes claiming to be cognisant of their talent since childhood are par for the course. Vishnu’s epiphany, though, came only five years ago, when he won a bronze medal at the Under-21 World Championships in Croatia.
The first time that I realised I could have a future in sailing was when I won that U-21 World Championships bronze. I had pursued sailing for so long and finally achieved success, so my first feeling was relief. I felt that I was on the right track. The immediate next feeling was hunger – now that I had won an international medal, I wanted to learn more and be better at it.Vishnu Saravanan
Asian Games Triumph
Following the Croatia triumph, Vishnu added another feather to his cap when he won the bronze medal at the Asian Games. What added to the euphoria was that five years ago, he could not participate in the same tournament owing to food poisoning.
That medal was definitely expected. I had worked very hard for the Asian Games medal. When you train hard, the competition becomes easier. I was devastated when I could not make it to the 2018 Asian Games. I had qualified for the Asian Championships which was being held in Singapore, but unfortunately, I had food poisoning and could not perform up to my potential.Vishnu Saravanan
Reflecting on Tokyo Olympics
Albeit it did not yield a medal, Vishnu competed at the Olympics even before making his Asian Games debut. In Tokyo, he finished a respectable 20th among 35 sailors, and second among Asians.
He says:
I was very happy with my performance in Tokyo. I wanted to be in top 20 and I finished 20th. What people also don’t realise is that the peak age in sailing is about 32-33, which is usually considered retirement age in other sports.Vishnu Saravanan
Pragmatic Target for Paris
Pragmatic in what he thinks and says, Vishnu admits India is still some distance away from an Olympic medal in sailing. His target for Paris, hence, is to do better than what he did at Tokyo. His competition is only against himself.
My target is to do better than what I did in Tokyo. Reflecting back on my career, I have come a long way. I remember when I used to think that just qualifying for the Olympics would be super difficult. It still is difficult, but now, that feeling has been normalised. Of course, everybody will try their best to win a medal and I will do that as well, but the Olympics is a stage where even if a minute thing goes wrong, a medal will be out of your grasp. So, I think we will need time to get to that stage, but hopefully, we will be there one dayVishnu Saravanan
On being asked about whether he will be under pressure, considering there will be expectations given that this is his second Olympics, Vishnu concluded:
My father taught me how to deal with pressure at a very early age. He used to tell me to accept pressure, but then I will get accustomed to it and will know how not to lose focus and awareness under duress.Vishnu Saravanan
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