Dinghy Sailing

AK began yachting and dinghy sailing as a hobby while at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasala, near Pune, India; during his days of basic military training as a cadet. He was selected to represent the country at the Youth Olympics at Kiel, Germany (Munich Olympics’ sailing venue), in 1972. He took part in various National Championships, including the Cadet Class, the International Enterprise Class, and the International OK Dinghy Class. He won the Bronze Medal in the OK Dinghy Nationals in 1978 as well as in 1980. In Windsurfing, he was runner up at the National level; also having windsurfed at the Kiel Week (Kieler Wokhe) championships in 1982 at Kiel, Germany;  the Nordic Championship also in 1982 at Malmo, Sweden; the 1st International Asian Windsurfing Championship in April 1982 at Patayya, Thailand, and the Asian Championship at Mumbai in November 1981, and the Open International Championship at Goa , India, the same year.

Though amputated above left knee in 1983,  AK went on to sail the International Enterprise Class National Inland  Championship in 1989, at Khadakwasala Lake, Pune, and secured 7th position out of a total of 43 participants.

AK is an Honorary Life Member of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, U.K., having sailed a 7-day trans-channel voyage from London to Cherbourg, France, and then to Weymouth, U.K., with his wife Asha along as part of the crew, aboard the Sail Training Ship the ‘Lord Nelson’, in 2005 year.