Manu Francis, Prince Noble Sail Into Asian Games History With Silver
Manu Francis Prince Noble Win Historic Sailing Silver
Manu Francis Prince Noble have added a historic chapter to India’s sailing story at the Asian Games 2026, winning silver in the men’s Skiff 49er event at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor. The Indian cousins finished the nine-race competition with 23 points, behind China’s Wen Zaiding and Liu Tian, who took gold with 16 points. Hong Kong finished third. The medal was India’s first in sailing at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Manu Francis Prince Noble Fight Back in Final Race
The Indian pair’s medal was secured through a remarkable finish to the competition. Sailing uses a points system in which lower aggregate scores are better, making every race important. Manu and Prince produced their best result by winning Race 3, while they also finished second in Races 1, 5 and 9. China, meanwhile, won four races and maintained the advantage at the top.
The biggest twist came in Race 8, when the Indian duo finished last and slipped out of medal position. With their Asian Games campaign coming down to the final race, they needed a strong finish. They responded by taking second place in Race 9, moving back into the silver-medal position and finishing with 23 points.
Manu Francis Prince Noble Build Silver From Kerala Roots
For Manu and Prince, the medal represents much more than a result on the water. The cousins and childhood friends began sailing together in Kerala after their abilities were noticed by National Sailing School coach P Madhu when they were in Class 7.
They subsequently trained at the National Sailing School in Bhopal before continuing their development at the Muziris Yachting Club under retired Colonel Navneet Mittal and Suresh Pillai. Both later joined the Indian Army while continuing their sailing careers. Since 2020, they have trained under coach Sandeep Jain, including at the Army Yachting Node in Mumbai.
Prince Noble’s Silver Carries Emotional Weight
The achievement also carries a deeply personal meaning for Prince Noble. His father, Noble KG, died during the devastating Kerala floods in 2018 while Prince was competing at a regatta in Germany. Manu, who was both his cousin and sailing partner, remained a close source of support during that difficult period.
Reflecting on his father after the Asian Games medal, Prince remembered the encouragement he received throughout his career. “He always encouraged me, whether I was winning or losing,” Prince said.
The sailors’ journey has already included bronze medals at the Asian Sailing Championships in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and Pattaya in 2023. Their Asian Games debut has now delivered the biggest medal of their careers.
Manu Francis Prince Noble Put India on Sailing Podium
The silver also adds to India’s long Asian Games sailing history. India’s only previous sailing gold came at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, when Farokh Tarapore and Zarir Karanjia won the title. Manu and Prince’s silver was India’s first sailing medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Games and took the country’s overall sailing tally to 24 Asian Games medals one gold, nine silver and 14 bronze.
For two sailors who began with childhood dreams on the Kerala coast, the journey has now reached an Asian Games podium with 23 points, a silver medal and a final-race fightback to remember.
