Shillong, April 06: Marking yet another significant moment for sailing and water sports in the country, Meghalaya successfully hosted the 4th North East Regatta 2026 with a grand closing ceremony held at Water Sports Complex, Umiam. Organised by the Yachting Association of India (YAI) in association with the Umiam Sailing Club and supported by Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the event featured a strong representation of more than 100 sailors taking part in 5 days of competitive sailing.
The event follows the successful conduct of the 1st Indian Sailing League, which was staged off the same coast last week, featuring 182 participants, including 58 international sailors from around the world.
The Competition spanned categories such as ILCA 4 boys and girls, Optimist (boys and girls), 420 Mixed, 29ER (boys and girls), and Techno 293 (boys and girls). The regatta is one of India’s most prestigious sailing events and serves as a YAI ranking event, determining the national ranking of the sailors.
Regatta also serves as a platform for the trials for national squads for international events like the Asian Games. Apart from the titles, a total prize pool of over ₹10 lakhs was awarded to the winners under different categories.
Lt Gen TSA Narayanan, AVSM, Vice President of YAI, commended the organizers, including the Government of Meghalaya, for their exceptional execution of the championship. Highlighting the remarkable scale of the competition, he stated, “I have seen large number of sailing events being conducted, but no sailing event is conducted in India in this grand way”. He underscored the event’s position as the only sailing competition in the country offering cash awards, noting its impressive affordability and seamless logistics for participants.
The championship witnessed standout performances across categories, with the National Sailing School (NSS) leading the charge. Ankit Singh Sisodiya and Tulsi Patle clinched gold in the ILCA 4 Boys and Girls events, respectively, while Rudresh Singh Patel and Mayank Rajput secured the top spot in the 29er Boys category.
Competitors from Kedah Sailing Association (KSA) and Malaysia Sailing Association (MSA) also dominated key fleets, with the MSA mixed youth team winning the 420 Class and KSA athletes sweeping the Optimist Main Boys and Girls divisions. In the Optimist Green Fleet, promising young sailors Muhammad Zulfan Akif and Nur Iman Sofia (both KSA) were awarded Special Gold.
Further highlights included Hriethik Amar Jaiswal from Trishna Sailing Club (TSC) securing victory in the ILCA 6 Youth Open, and Yachting Association of Maharashtra’s Arjun Marathe and Vritika Sandeep Mhatre delivering an impressive double gold in the Techno 293 Boys and Girls categories respectively.
Alok Kumar Yadav, League Director, highlighted the massive collaborative effort received to host the Regatta, specifically thanking the Indian Army, State departments of Meghalaya, and local agencies for ensuring seamless logistics and safe accommodations.
Further, he emphasized the competitive significance of the championship, noting that competing alongside foreign sailors provided Indian athletes with invaluable learning opportunities and exposure to different water conditions right in their home country.
Ultimately, he stated that the true hallmark of a successful event is its safety, commending the race committee and dedicated local departments for ensuring a secure environment both on and off the water throughout the championship.
During the closing ceremony, all the technical committees, international jury, judges, race officers, commentators and other key officials were felicitated for their support in the successful conduct of the league. Performances by artists from the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program (CM-MGMP) added a vibrant cultural dimension to the League.
Hosting back-to-back competitive water sports events of such scale not only promotes the game but also fosters a spirit of athleticism, further cementing Meghalaya as a premier destination for participants and spectators alike, while establishing Umiam as the emerging capital for competitive water sports in India.
