Manu Francis & Prince Noble clinch India's first sailing medal at Asian Games 2026
India won 24 sailing medals in the Games’ history.
India won its first sailing medal at the Asian Games 2026, with the medal colour decided in the final race. Manu Francis and Prince Noble claimed silver in the men’s skiff event on Thursday after finishing second in the ninth and final race at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor.
The margin was small. Sailing works like golf, as the lowest score wins. A boat gets a point for finishing first in a race, two points for second, and so on, and the points are added up over all nine races.
China’s Wen Zaiding and Liu Tian had the lowest total, 16 points, and won gold after winning four races. India’s pair finished with 23 points to secure the silver. Hong Kong finished with 24 points, one more than India, and took bronze.
Francis and Noble won a race and finished second in three others across the series. Their second-place finish in the final race sealed the podium, marking a memorable Asian Games debut for the pair. This is their first appearance at the continental showpiece.
Two friends from Kerala who grew up in the sport
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Francis and Noble are relatives and childhood friends from Kerala. They began sailing at school, trained at the National Sailing School in Bhopal and the Muziris Yachting Club, and later joined the Indian Army, where they progressed through its yachting program.
Their route to Japan was steady. They won bronze at the Asian Sailing Championships and finished first at the Asian Games selection trial in Mumbai in January.
The medal adds to India’s long record in the sport. India now has 24 Asian Games sailing medals, one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze. India’s last sailing gold at the Asian Games came in New Delhi in 1982, when Farokh Tarapore and Zarir Karanjia clinched the title.
Earlier during the day, the women’s squash team secured bronze after losing 1-2 to Hong Kong in the semi-finals, taking India’s squash medal tally at Aichi-Nagoya to 4. Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh had earlier won singles silver, and Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar took mixed doubles bronze.
Who won silver for India in sailing at the Asian Games 2026?
Manu Francis and Prince Noble won silver in the men’s skiff event at Aichi-Nagoya. They finished with 23 net points after nine races, behind China’s Wen Zaiding and Liu Tian (16 points). It is India’s first sailing medal of these Games and the pair’s Asian Games debut.
How many sailing medals does India have in the Asian Games history?
India now has 24 Asian Games sailing medals: 1 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze. The gold came at New Delhi 1982, won by Farokh Tarapore and Zarir Karanjia.
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