City youth sail high under YCH training

Hyderabad: Sailing is often considered as a rich man’s sport, but not anymore. Thanks to one man - Suheim Sheikh, founder president, Yacht Club of Hyderabad, who has been in the field for over 40 years, has taken upon himself to help youth from poor backgrounds to take up sailing.

The Yacht Club of Hyderabad believes in the motto “Dignity through Sports” by helping the orphans and deprived children from farming and under-privileged classes. Suheim says, “Many have been trained to reach top levels during the first six years and their education and nutrition is also funded and monitored by the YCH.” Recalling how it all started, Suheim says, “The idea came to him in 2009 to create infrastructure for all and access to each one as sailing has been going on for more than a century in Hussain Sagar.

He adds, “We have been working with nearly 50 kids and have focused on children from government schools. He said that the kids are taught to sail at national level, YCH funds their education, provides food and medical facilities. The main idea is to provide the students with employment opportunities so that they have better future.” Suheim said that around eight students who have been trained at YCH have been selected in Indian Navy and Army, apart from this, three girls reached to the top in sailing in India. He added that earlier students were taken across the country to championships and have also been taken to Hong Kong and Singapore for regattas.

Suheim said that the club focused on kids from government schools and sharpened its training capability to the point of producing two national champions in the sub-junior and junior categories within six years and many in the top 10. As we provide free training to the deprived children, it costs around Rs 2 lakh per year to train a kid, he added.

BY Aneri Shah