Telangana dominates 17th Monsoon Regatta as Rameeza Bhanu and Ravikumar Banneoulu shine

Synopsis: Telangana completely dominated the 17th Monsoon Regatta at Hussain Sagar, capturing 15 medals. Prodigy Rameeza Bhanu clinched the U-16 girls' gold, while national champion Ravikumar Banneoulu secured a historic double-trophy feat, anchoring the state's stellar sailing performance

Hyderabad: Telangana completely dominated the 17th Monsoon Regatta with a rich haul of 15 medals, including four golds, at the Hussain Sagar Lake here on Saturday.

The undisputed breakout star of the regatta was young prodigy Rameeza Bhanu of Rainbow Homes. Having joined the Yacht Club of Hyderabad (YCH) just two years ago, Bhanu stunned the fleet by coming from behind to clinch the Under-16 girls’ gold and finish in an impressive fourth place overall.

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Bhanu’s victory solidifies a fierce, ongoing rivalry with Shringari Roy of the Secunderabad Club. While the two have traded gold and silver medals across multiple national regattas, Bhanu closed this championship a healthy nine points ahead of Roy, who finished fifth overall. Both girls have officially been selected to represent India at the upcoming World Championships in Morocco at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, reigning National Champion Ravikumar Banneoulu delivered an expected masterclass. By winning both races on the final day, Banneoulu captured both the prestigious Monsoon Regatta Trophy and the S.H. Babu Memorial Trophy for top performance without discarding a single race. This rare double-trophy feat was last accomplished in 2021 by international sailor Preethi Kongara, also of the Yacht Club of Hyderabad. Banneoulu was followed closely by teammates Narasimha Vutla and Mani Nilakonda, who secured second and third positions overall.

In the Under-18 International 420 Mixed Class, Badrinath Nirudu and Rishwitha Sunchanakota (MJPT) emerged victorious. Tied at the top with arch-rivals Chandralekha and Dhanush after nine races, the duo won the trophy by a whisker in a dramatic 10th race after Chandra and Dhanush were penalised by the International Jury.

In the Laser classes, the Indian Navy maintained its stronghold, with Preet Siwal and Katyayani Kaushik winning golds in the Boys and Girls categories, respectively.

“A haul of 15 medals and four golds is a humongous achievement for a landlocked state like Telangana,” said Suheim Sheikh, Chief Coach and Mentor at the Yacht Club of Hyderabad. “It is thanks to the unique conditions of Hussain Sagar that we are firmly at the top of the sport of sailing in India.”

The results:
Boys Under-16: 1. Ravi Kumar Banneoulu (TSA) 14 pts, 2. Mani Nilakonda (TSA) 28 pts.
Girls Under-16: 1. Rameeza Bhanu (TSA) 11 pts, 2. Shringari Roy (TSA) 12 pts, 3. Saakshi Kumari (TSA) 37 pts.
Under-18 Mixed double-hander (International 420): 1. Badrinath Nirudu & S. Rishwitha (TSA) 11 pts, 2. T. Chandralekha & J. Dhanush (TSA) 12 pts, 3. J. Sirisha & Ram Charan (TSA) 25 pts.
Skiff Boys: 1. Sharanya Yuvaraj Jadhav & Shivam Walmiki (NYSC) 10 pts, 2. Mohammed Rizwan & Dhoki Sathwik (NYSC) 22 pts.
Single-hander Boys: 1. Preet Siwal (NYSC) 8 pts, 2. Hriday Jairam Joshi (NYSC) 8 pts, 3. Kounik Vardhan (TSA) 26 pts.
Single-hander Girls: 1. Katyayani Kaushik (INWTC) 8 pts, 2. Krithika Vishwanathan (SSC) 17 pts, 3. Ramyasri Challa (TSA) 20 pts.