Beating all odds, Padidala Vishwanath, who is the son of a daily wage labourer, has been selected in the junior boy's yatching team to represent India in the ongoing Optimist World Sailing Championship 2021 at the Riva Del Garda in Italy. The competition that began on June 30 will conclude on July 10.
The youngest among three brothers, 15-year-old Vishwanath is a young sailor of Navy Boys Sports Company (NBSC), INS Mandovi, Goa. His parents are daily wage labourers who moved to Hyderabad from Suryapet 20 years ago to provide a better future for their children. Determined since a young age, Vishwanath was selected for Telangana residential social welfare school, reported News 18. "Here the IPS and director RS Parvin Kumar identified his talent and nurtured him," Vishwanath's father Saidulu said.
Determined Since A Young Age
He was 12 when NBSC selected him. "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 to his leg, he did not mind it and chose not to even rest," said his father Saidulu.
His prior achievements include winning a silver medal at the sub-junior international Regatta in 2017 and has been part of the national side in the Optimist class since then.