Asaf chief hails success of Olympic qualifier

Oman ‘deserves praise’ for hosting top event during the pandemic situation 

An interview with Dr Malav Shroff, Asian Sailing Federation (Asaf) President

Q. How do you see the importance of Oman hosting the Olympic qualifier, following an understandable postponement of the championship several times due to Covid-19?

It was extremely important for Oman to host the qualifier so that all Asian athletes would have a fair and equal opportunity to qualify for the Olympics so that competitors representing our federation were not left to chance. We would like to thank Oman Sail, the Oman Olympic Committee and the Government of Oman for organising and hosting the championship, which was a tremendous occasion for everyone involved.

Q. What is your impression on Oman Sail’s race management teams, particularly in light of their role in managing events locally, regionally and internationally?

Considering that we are still coping with restrictions enforced due to the pandemic, Oman Sail’s Race Management Team have done a fantastic job in organising the championships at short notice and ensuring it was able to proceed, without a single flaw. This is an extremely difficult situation for all – organisers, competitors, officials, and the schedule as a whole – and they managed to hold this event to international standards, and we must congratulate everyone involved for their efforts.

Q. How do you assess the impact of the pandemic on the qualifier and what is your opinion on the implemented health protocols to keep everyone safe?

I think the healthcare protocols have been implemented to perfection. They have been strict, and had to be, because with competitors arriving from different countries, as well as those from Oman, there was a need to make sure everyone taking part has been tested and cleared. The event also had to be conducted to the highest health and safety protocols to keep everyone safe for the duration. We are happy to note that everything has gone really well.

Q. Could you let us the stature of Asian countries in the global sailing map in terms of programmes and athlete performance?

Asia has been improving year-on-year over the last few years and taking great steps forward since I became president. This is due to the combined efforts of all Member National Authorities in the Asian Sailing Federation. We have unified our training across the Federation and the entire standard of Asian Sailing is improving. In times to come, we are sure that there will be a lot of Asian Sailors winning medals for their countries at the Olympics and at the World Championships.

Q. In your opinion, what can contribute to advancing the sport of sailing in Asia, and in the GCC in particular, in the coming years?

Historically in the GCC, there has not been much sailing in Olympic classes but recently the move has come, led by Oman, to sail and compete in more and more eligible classes. This will make the GCC a much more powerful force in World Sailing and within the Asian Sailing Federation, and that is indeed great news. We look forward to seeing the results of the growth in sailing across the GCC as Asia becomes better represented at future Olympic Games and at World Championship events in all sailing classes.

Q. What is the role of Asaf in supporting members to host championships and race events?

Asaf is deeply involved in hosting championships within Asia. There is the Asian Youth Games, Asaf Olympic qualification events, Asaf Keelboat Cup, and the Asian Games, along with many smaller regattas throughout the year. We are also heavily involved in ensuring our member nations are represented on the world stage and our needs are heard to make sure sailing in Asia continues to improve.

Q. Developing race officials, judges, jury, umpires, technical teams to be involved in racing management?

We have the Asian Technical officer programme where we train talented individuals to become ATOs to serve the federation at events. They can then become World Sailing Technical Officers and represent the Asian Sailing Federation at global events.

Q. What do you think has been one contributing factor to the success of the sport of sailing in Asia recently?

I think the biggest contributor is that most countries are now engaging professional coaches to train the competitors, experienced administrators to run the events and the sailors are getting more serious about performing well and advancing.

When I started sailing and participated in the Olympics, people were just happy if they took part but now doing well is key and that is a crucial change of mindset that has come about with the improvements to sailing in the region, which is very important for success in the future.

Q. Do you currently face challenges in having a year-round calendar of Asian championships? What are the upcoming highlights of the season (2021 – 2024)?

Yes, during the pandemic it has been difficult to conduct year-round championships, as it has been for every country in almost every sport. However, I feel that once the pandemic is behind us, hopefully from next year onward, we will be able to start our full calendar again, because the more championships we hold, the better our sailors will perform. As the standard increases in Asia, our sailors will then be able to qualify for events held in Europe, which holds many championships and presents a great opportunity for our sailors to test themselves against their peers from another region.

Currently, we have several events on the calendar, including the 3rd Asian Youth Games set to be held in November 2021 in Shantou, China. In addition, both the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China and 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, have been announced.