Asian Games 2026 Men’s Skiff Sailing Silver: India Wins Silver

India added another milestone to its Asian Games 2026 campaign as sailors Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble won the silver medal in the Men’s Skiff (49er) sailing event at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor.

The medal marks India’s first sailing medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the Ernakulam-born cousins producing a determined performance through a challenging nine-race regatta.

Strong Finish Under Pressure

Heading into the final race, Francis and Noble faced pressure to remain on the podium after a difficult eighth race. The Indian duo responded with a second-place finish in Race 9, finishing the competition with 23 net points and securing the silver medal.

China’s defending champions Wen Zaiding and Liu Tian took gold with 16 net points, while Hong Kong’s Akira Luke Sakai and Russell Williams Aylsworth claimed bronze with 24 points.

In sailing, lower net points represent the better overall result.

Francis and Noble produced several strong results during the regatta, including a victory in Race 3 and runner-up finishes in Races 1, 5 and 9.From Kerala’s Backwaters to the Asian Games Podium

The silver medal carries a special significance for the Indian pair, who are first cousins from Ernakulam, Kerala.

The two sailors grew up together and began sailing on Kerala’s backwaters before developing their partnership over the past decade. They now train at the Army Yachting Node in Mumbai.

The pair had already demonstrated their international potential by winning bronze at the 2023 Asian Sailing Championships in Abu Dhabi.

For Noble, the Asian Games medal is particularly meaningful. Making his Asian Games debut after overcoming the loss of his father during the devastating 2018 Kerala floods, he now celebrates a continental podium finish while representing India.

Francis and Noble’s silver not only opens India’s sailing medal account at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 but also highlights the journey of two Kerala sailors who turned a shared childhood passion into an Asian Games podium achievement.