KELAPANDA CHENGAPPA Ganapathy

General
CREWMATE
He began sailing with Varun Thakkar in 2011. The pair started out in the Optimist and 29er classes before moving on to the 49er class. "We started sailing together in 2011. But prior to that, we have been racing against each other since 2006. The single-handed boat called Optimist is the one we started with and then we had an option to sail in Laser or opt for the double-handed boat called 49er. He [Thakkar] is really good at the helm too, he used to beat me at the domestic level, which means the co-ordination is on point and we can help the boat going fast. On the 49er, both participants are equal. There is effectively no captain and a helmer. We are equal partners. Our disagreements, when we do have [them], only make us improve. He is like my brother and I could not have done it without him. It's been a long time we have stuck together." (firstpost, 06 May 2021; thebridge, 05 May 2021; olympics, 23 Apr 2021; kodaguconnect, 06 Sep 2018; timesofindia, 31 Aug 2018)

EARLY DAYS
He left regular full-time school early and began home schooling in order to dedicate more time to his sailing career. "I was in grade nine when I decided to quit school and learn through an open education system. I was allowed to take just 10 days leave in a year at my school. With that, it was not possible to pursue sailing. It's not easy. Sailing is a full-time job." (sportskeeda, 14 Jul 2021; olympics, 23 Apr 2021; timesofindia, 31 Aug 2018)