While sailor Vishnu won bronze, sister Ramya had to be content with 4th spot
As the curtains were drawn at the sailing event in the Asian Games on Wednesday, there were mixed emotions in the national sailing coach R. Saravanan's house in Pune. His daughter Ramya failed to take a spot on the podium by a whisker after finishing fourth in the mixed event. But a day later, his son Vishnu bagged the bronze medal in the men's ICLA 7 event. The 24-year-old Vishnu was quick to share the medal with his sister.
"I wouldn't say I am returning home with a medal, I would rather say we are returning home with a medal. This was Ramya's second Asian Games appearance and she gave her best. She was so close to finishing third. Unfortunately, she couldn't win. My victory is hers too," said Vishnu, who accumulated 34 net points from 11 races in Hangzhou.
The 22-year-old Ramya has played a pivotal role in Vishnu's career. "When we were kids she would follow me around and then compete with me. Even now she makes sure to accompany me to my tournaments and helps me stay focused if I get distracted. We know our strengths and weaknesses. We help each other grow. I can always bank on her and she always gives me a shoulder to cry on. She gets overshadowed by me sometimes because people can't see her talent. Hopefully, they will see it soon," he added.
For Ramya, her brother is her idol. "After I lost, I was of course sad because this was a huge opportunity. But, later on, when Vishnu won the bronze, I was so happy for him. I feel he could have done much better. We share a great bond; I have always looked up to him. He is my unpaid therapist too," Ramya said.
The Vellore-born siblings were introduced to the sport by their father Saravanan (57), a former national champion and a retired Subedar. In 1996, Saravanan qualified for the Olympics in Atlanta, United States, but due to some personal issues, he couldn't participate.
Now, the siblings aim to fulfill their father's life-long dream of the elusive medal. "An Olympic medal will be a dream come true moment for the entire family. My father still yearns for it. Paris Olympics is our focus now and we hope to give our best," said Vishnu, who took part in the Tokyo Olympics and ended at the 20th place out of 35 sailors.
