Hyderabad: Promising exciting action on sails, the Laser National Sailing Championship 2013 got underway at the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake on Wednesday.
Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Sports Minister Vatti Vasant Kumar inaugurated the championship which will be held till July 28.
About 120 sailors from all over the country are expected to participate in the event, being conducted by the Laser Class Association of India (LCAI).
The competition will be held Laser, 4.7, Standard and Radial categories.
Lt General S M Mehta, Commandant, Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) and Col Commandant Corps of EME Sailing Association said Hussain Sagar lake provided a conducive atmosphere for sailing.
He also mentioned that India has the potential to achieve many medals in sailing in prestigious championships like Olympics.
Brig. Rajaram, Rear Commodore of EME Sailing Association said that the objective behind organising such an event is to promote the eco-friendly sport, adding that top sailors from all over the country are participating in the event.
"Laser class is Olympic class and is gaining popularity amongst sportsmen and spectators," he said.
According to the organisers of the event, there have been queries from Asia Pacific countries as well for participation in the event.
Captain Soli Contractor, the government observer for the event, said that more women are also coming forward to participate.
Among the 120 entries, 31 will participate in Standard category, 60 in Radial and 29 in 4.7, the organisers added.
The Laser Class Association of India (LCAI) is conducting these championship since 1986 (including hosting Asia Pacific Laser International Championship in May 2001 at Hyderabad), they added.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.