Indian sailors Manu Francis and Prince Noble clinched the silver medal in the men's skiff sailing event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday — India's first sailing medal of the ongoing Games.
The duo finished second behind China after completing nine races with 23 points, while Hong Kong secured the bronze medal, according to ESPN. Competing together in the 49er class, Francis and Noble produced a consistent campaign and won one of the nine races on their way to the podium.
A steady rise
The silver takes India's overall sailing tally at the Asian Games to 24 medals, including one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze. India's only sailing gold at the Asian Games came at the 1982 New Delhi edition, when Farokh Tarapore and Zarir Karanjia topped the podium.
For Francis and Noble, the medal caps a steady rise. The two are relatives and childhood friends from Kerala who began sailing at the grassroots level before training at the National Sailing School in Bhopal and the Muziris Yachting Club. They later continued their development through the Army Yachting Node after joining the Indian Army.
The pair had previously won bronze at the 2022 Asian Sailing Championship in Abu Dhabi and at the 2023 Asian Sailing Championships in Pattaya.
India at 62 medals
With the sailing silver, India's overall tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Games stood at 62 medals at the time of writing — 10 gold, 22 silver and 30 bronze.
It was a busy Thursday for the Indian contingent. Nitesh Siwach stormed into the men's Greco-Roman 97kg wrestling final with a 9-0 victory over Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar, securing India's second wrestling medal of the Games. The women's squash team took bronze after a 1-2 semifinal loss to Hong Kong, while in archery, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru advanced to the compound men's individual semifinal. Chikitha Taniparthi's women's individual campaign ended with a narrow 143-144 quarterfinal defeat to Indonesia's Nurisa Dian Ashrifah.
Sources:
Asian Games 2026: Manu Francis, Prince Noble win silver in sailing — The Tribune (ANI)
Nitesh Siwach reaches Greco-Roman final as India secures more medals — Mathrubhumi
The duo finished second behind China after completing nine races with 23 points, while Hong Kong secured the bronze medal, according to ESPN. Competing together in the 49er class, Francis and Noble produced a consistent campaign and won one of the nine races on their way to the podium.
A steady rise
The silver takes India's overall sailing tally at the Asian Games to 24 medals, including one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze. India's only sailing gold at the Asian Games came at the 1982 New Delhi edition, when Farokh Tarapore and Zarir Karanjia topped the podium.
For Francis and Noble, the medal caps a steady rise. The two are relatives and childhood friends from Kerala who began sailing at the grassroots level before training at the National Sailing School in Bhopal and the Muziris Yachting Club. They later continued their development through the Army Yachting Node after joining the Indian Army.
The pair had previously won bronze at the 2022 Asian Sailing Championship in Abu Dhabi and at the 2023 Asian Sailing Championships in Pattaya.
India at 62 medals
With the sailing silver, India's overall tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Games stood at 62 medals at the time of writing — 10 gold, 22 silver and 30 bronze.
It was a busy Thursday for the Indian contingent. Nitesh Siwach stormed into the men's Greco-Roman 97kg wrestling final with a 9-0 victory over Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar, securing India's second wrestling medal of the Games. The women's squash team took bronze after a 1-2 semifinal loss to Hong Kong, while in archery, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru advanced to the compound men's individual semifinal. Chikitha Taniparthi's women's individual campaign ended with a narrow 143-144 quarterfinal defeat to Indonesia's Nurisa Dian Ashrifah.
Sources:
Asian Games 2026: Manu Francis, Prince Noble win silver in sailing — The Tribune (ANI)
Nitesh Siwach reaches Greco-Roman final as India secures more medals — Mathrubhumi
