Army’s ‘Madras Engineer Group’ to conduct event at KRS backwaters 

Srirangapatna: After the conclusion of the first National Regatta Championship (Aug. 19 to 23) organised by Royal Mysore Sailing Club in association with Karnataka State Sailing Association at Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) backwaters, now it is the turn of Army’s ‘Madras Engineer Group (MEG)’, informally known as the Madras Sappers, to conduct a mega sailing competition at the KRS backwaters. 

The ‘National-Level Multi-Class Youth Sailing Championship’ is being organised by MEG in collaboration with General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure from Aug. 26  to 31 under the aegis of Yachting Association of Karnataka and Yachting Association of India.

This is the first sailing championship of national magnitude conducted by the Army at the KRS Dam backwaters. The opening ceremony of the event will be held on Aug. 27. More than 200 sailors and coaches across the country will participate.

The event will not be open to the general public due to COVID, keeping in mind the safety of the sailors. Only invitees, sailors, coaches and supporting staff will be allowed to enter the venue, Major Girijesh told Star of Mysore. 

The event will be organised by following COVID-19 protocols. RT-PCR test is mandatory for all sailors, supporting crew and anyone entering the activity area. The events will be held in different classes like 29er Class, 420 Class, Laser Radial Class, Laser 4.7 Class, RS: One Class and Optimist Class, he added. 

The MEG has a record of extraordinary achievement both in times of war and peace. It has excelled in sports like sailing, boxing, canoeing and endeavours aboard the Trishna, worldwide yachting trip and the Dakshin Gangotri Research Station in Antarctica.

Incidentally, the sailing camp at Srirangapatna is called ‘Trishna Sailing Club’ and a rock on the KRS Dam backwaters shore has been painted like that. 

The MEG has been producing elite sportsmen across all disciplines for the country for decades. Their main aim is to produce quality sportspersons for the Olympic National Squad and the count goes on for the next “Mission Olympics”.

The General Thimayya National Academy of Adventure has been producing National and International level athletes in sport climbing, kayaking and canoeing. The National Multi Class Youth Sailing Championship will be a new beginning for sailing at the Academy. The Academy intends to capitalise from the experience and build a strong team to pursue this sport in competitions.