Panaji: A recent post on social media summed up Katya Coelho’s mind the best.“Giving up was never an option,” she said, sharing a video of her training, competing, falling down and, of course, getting up again. It’s what she has probably gone through for the last three years.At the last Asian Games in 2023, the Goan windsurfer qualified for the continental showpiece, only to be told by the sports ministry that she wasn’t among the top six in Asia and could not be making the trip to China. Just a week ahead of the Games, it was a brutal blow, one that would have knocked down the strongest.Katya, too, fell down, only to pick herself again.Now, as top athletes get ready to bring glory to the nation at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, Katya finds her name on the official list. This time, nobody can tell her she’s not among the best in the continent.“This qualification means a lot to me, especially because of the disappointment I experienced three years ago,” Katya told TOI. “I had qualified for the Asian Games then, but everything that happened afterwards was difficult, and it took me some time to process that setback. But I chose to keep going, and I think coming back and qualifying again has made this moment even more meaningful.”Katya’s selection for the Asian Games – to be held from Sept 19 to Oct 4 in Japan — comes after a strong showing at the selection trials earlier this year. She topped the women’s iQFOiL category at the trials conducted as part of Sail India 2026, finishing ahead of several of the country’s leading sailors.Despite topping the trials, there was no guarantee that the sports ministry would clear her for the Asiad. As per the performance pathway that has been set by the govt and Indian Olympic Association (IOA), sailors have to finish within the top six among Asian nations at designated international events to meet the final qualification benchmark.Katya then set out on another tough journey. This time, it was in Europe. With the war in West Asia disrupting air traffic, it took her 40 hours to reach Spain, where she took part in the Princess Sofia Regatta 2026 and, later, the French Olympic Week.The results were encouraging.“For me, the biggest win is that I’m going back to the Asian Games. I’m proud that I’ve been able to overcome that disappointment and prove to myself that I could do it again. Being the only Indian to qualify for the Asian Games in iQFOiL for a second time makes it even more special,” said Katya.Her return to the Asian Games stage where she first took part in 2018 is a huge boost for Goan sports. Apart from Tanisha Crasto in badminton, there’s no other Goan athlete, and certainly not someone who has been born, brought up and trained in Goa.“I want to go there and give the best performance I possibly can,” said Katya. “I know I have limited time left, less than 30 days, and I may have to leave in just another week. So, I’m very conscious of the time I have. I’m not going to focus on what I don’t have; I’m going to focus on what I can control.“Every day from now until I leave is going to count. Every training session, every adjustment to my equipment, every hour on the water, I want to make the most of it. I’m positive, I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I’m going to go there prepared to give it everything I have with the cards I’ve been dealt with.”
