Waves of approval for Ningbo sailing center

World Sailing president Li Quanhai has praised the sailing competitions at the 19th Asian Games, staged in a facility he described as a "fantastic benefit" for the sport in the region.

Over seven days at Xiangshan Sailing Centre in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, 129 athletes contested 14 events, with China finishing with eight medals in total, followed by Thailand and Singapore with seven each.

The Asian Games were a major qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with places up for grabs in the dinghy, windsurfing, and kite events.

"We have seen a world-class sailing competition in a world-class venue at the 19th Asian Games. The standard of competition has been very high in all 14 events," said Li.

"That is testimony to the growing strength of sailing in Asia, as we saw at the Allianz Sailing World Championships. The credit for that must go to our Member National Authorities in the region who are working so hard to nurture the grassroots of the sport in their respective territories."

Singling out the Ningbo venue for special praise, Li added: "Xiangshan Sailing Centre provided the perfect setting for the athletes to show their abilities. It really is a superb venue, and I am sure it will provide a strong legacy and a fantastic benefit for sailing across the region for a long time into the future."

David Graham, CEO of World Sailing, said: "I was speechless when I came into this venue — it is world-class, whether it is the facilities for the athletes and officials or the area where the boats are stored and the nice sheltered harbor for them to get out into the field of play.

"The organization of the sailing event in the Asian Games has been first-class — it's a mixture of local experts, and experts from other countries, who have come together as a team and done a fantastic job. The quality of the racing has been absolutely brilliant."

Having set a pre-Games target of five golds, host China eventually pocketed six gold medals during the Hangzhou Games.

Thailand had three golds and Singapore two. Japan, South Korea and Malaysia each had one.