Inaugural ILCA Open India International Sailing Championship concludes at Hyderabad’s Hussain Sagar

The EME Sailing Association successfully hosted the first ILCA Open India International Sailing Championship alongside the 40th Hyderabad Sailing Week. The historic event drew 124 domestic and international sailors competing across elite ILCA-4, 6, and 7 classes

The first ILCA Open India International Sailing Championship & YAI 40th Hyderabad Sailing Week 2026 was held at EME Sailing Association (EMESA), Hussain Sagar Lake, here .

Lt Gen Neeraj Varshney, AVSM, VSM, Commandant, Military College of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Colonel Commandant, Corps of EME & Commodore, EMESA, felicitated the winners.

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Gen Varshney reflected on the successful realisation of the vision to host India’s first International ILCA Open Championship at the pristine waters of Hussain Sagar, reaffirming the four-decade legacy of EMESA as a pioneer in Indian sailing that has nurtured Olympians, Arjuna Awardees & generations of accomplished sailors.

He highlighted sailing as a sport that instils discipline, resilience, patience, self-reliance & leadership, encouraging participants to embrace both headwinds and tailwinds as lessons for life.

Congratulating all sailors, Gen Varshney emphasised that participation and perseverance are the true hallmarks of success & expressed confidence that the championship would continue to attract greater international participation in the years ahead. Quoting Christopher Columbus,

Hosted by EMESA under the aegis of MCEME in association with ILCA & YAI, the championship witnessed the participation of 124 sailors, including 19 women and girl participants, representing 19 Sailing Clubs and Institutions from premier Army, Navy and Civilian Sailing Establishments, along with international entries.

The successful conduct of the championship across the ILCA-7, ILCA-6 (Men & Women) & ILCA-4 (Boys & Girls) classes further reinforced Hyderabad’s & EMESA’s standing as a premier destination for competitive sailing in India.