Hyderabad: Daily wage labourers’ 15-year-old son selected for world sailing contest in Italy

HYDERABAD: Fifteen-year-old young sailor Padidala Vishwanath from Hyderabad whose parents are daily wage labourers has been selected in junior boys yachting team to represent India at the ongoing Optimist World Sailing Championship 2021 at Riva Del Garda in Italy. The competition, which began on June 30, will conclude on July 10.
“I myself was amazed at the passion he showed for sailing when he was studying in Class V. Initially when he got hurt while training, I took him to the hospital. Despite an injury on his leg, he did not mind it and chose not to even rest,” Vishwanath’s father Saidulu told TOI. Saidulu is a construction worker hailing from Suryapet. His wife is also a construction worker.
They came to the city 21 years ago. “After we put him in the social welfare residential school at Golconda, he was once taken to Hussainsagar where he saw yachting for the first time. By then, he also knew how two students from the social welfare institutions had climbed Mount Everest and he also was yearning to do something that excited him,” Saidulu recalled.
The boy was selected by Navy Boys Sports Company (NBSC) when he was 12. Viswanath now trains at NBSC, INS Mandovi, Goa. His prior achievements in international events include silver medal in the sub junior International Regatta 2017. Viswanath has been a part of the national squad in optimist class since then.