Published: August 5, 2026 at 6:36 pm
After coming back from the United Kingdom, Arjun Pradipak had made it his mission to revive sailing activities in the Secunderabad Sailing Club, and the sailor-turned-coach has been immensely successful in it. Arjun, who is the son of the legendary CS Pradipak, has been motivating many young sailors to take up the adventure water sport.
Every year, particularly in July and August, the Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad turns into a sea of sails. Legends like CS Pradipak, MS Pillai, Kelly Rao, Mahesh Choudhary, Mongia brothers (Ashim and Nitin), Rajesh Choudhary among others had put Hyderabad sailing on the global map. Their skills, discipline and grit inspired a whole generation to take up the sport.
A familiar figure at the lake is guiding the young sailors now and that is none other than Arjun, who is a chip of the old block. He carries on the legacy of his father by following in his footsteps as a sailor and as a coach. After retiring as a competitor, Arjun has been actively involved in sailing activities at the Secunderabad Sailing Club (SSC), helping young sailors to take up this adventure water sport.
“I have sailing in my blood. It came naturally to me. I used to accompany my father and sister Meghana to SSC. I loved the sport from day one and it has become a passion for me. I was even more inspired when my father was awarded the Arjun Award in 1987. Those days there was not much television or social media. Going to Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi was a great honour. Seeing other sports luminaries motivated me to take to sailing. My father was my role model. From 1994 to 2004 I was into sailing competition. I was one of the youngest participants in the 1998 Asian Games,’’ he said.
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Arjun took a break from sailing in 2004 to pursue higher studies in sports school in the United Kingdom and earned a Yacht Masters’ degree license. It allowed him to be the captain of Royal Yachts. However, he returned back to Hyderabad in 2016.
He was appalled to find sailing activities coming to standstill at SSC. “There was hardly any active sailing for a few years before I took over and now Secunderabad sailors are back at the forefront at the national stage, winning multiple medals. Secunderabad Sailing Club always had a rich history, and it was one of the oldest in the country.
“I took up the challenge of reviving sailing. Starting with zero, today we have 20 sailors. It was a struggle at the start. I kept my patience but worked hard to revive the sailing,” he said.
Arjun Pradipak with Diya Patel and Ishi Gupta, who had participated in Cadet Worlds at Lake Garda in Italy
The sailor-turned-coach said sailing requires a lot of physical fitness, mental toughness, sharp mind, alertness and agility. “That apart, a sailor needs that extra diet and has to focus hours together at the water. Reading the wind, which is often quite tricky, is very important as the directions keep changing, even at the last minute. It is more like F1 race and chess together – one has to be fast and slick and then the mind should be alert and sharp. I have four boats and plan to have 25 more in Optimist (learning stage), Laser and coach boat with zero-free electric engine,” Arjun stated.
Hussain Sagar water has turned dangerous for sailors: Arjun
“I have been trying to train the young sailors on these lines. In an ever demanding and competitive sport, it requires a lot of practice sessions. We won seven medals at our Secunderabad Club Youth Open (National ranking). Unfortunately, the conditions at Hussain Sagar are not conducive for sailors. Often sailors have fallen sick after slipping into the water during the practice session or in competition. In fact, Hussain Sagar is one of the best lakes to sail around but then the water condition has become from bad to worse. It is so dirty you can hardly read the wind due to the lack of ripples of waves as water is too dense. As a coach I can’t push them to sail fast for fear of the sailors falling into the lake and getting them sick. Sailing on Hussain Sagar is a different experience, particularly the change of wind directions or gusts of wind gives the sailors a big challenge,” he lamented.
The coach has tied up with Sreenidhi Educational Society to encourage sailing. “With Hussain Sagar not conducive to sailing, I made attempts to hold classes at Himayat and Osman Sagars. We have the talent but unfortunately, we require good facilities. That is not happening at the moment,” he bemoans.
Himayat and Osman Sagar as alternatives
Arjun, who recently visited Italy as two of his trainees Diya Patel and Ishi Gupta participated in Cadet Worlds at Lake Garda, said India is far behind Europe and other developed countries in providing facilities. “We need to have basic facilities. But unfortunately, it is not happening. Hyderabad has none because of the dirty water at Hussain Sagar. I have been pleading with the authorities concerned to start a sailing academy on Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar lakes. Osman Sagar has already hosted a national level event in the 80s and is an ideal location. I am aware that these lakes are the city’s drinking resources, but we have a zero-pollution electric boat that cannot pollute the water. There are no signs of improvement in the conditions at Hussain Sagar. It is a big challenge for me and the young sailors,” Arjun stated.
