Abhilash Tomy looks to conquer Golden Globe Race on his second attempt

Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy believes the upcoming race is his second chance to achieve one of his greatest dreams. (File/AFP)
Short Url
Updated 03 September 2022
Follow

Abhilash Tomy looks to conquer Golden Globe Race on his second attempt

  • On Sunday, the Indian sailor and retired navy commander will enter the third running of the race, having almost lost his life in the 2018 edition

The ocean has always been a place of solitude for Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy. 

On Sunday, the former navy commander will return to sea as he sets off on his second attempt at the world’s toughest and longest sailboat competition, the Golden Globe Race. 

“When I am at sea, there are no distractions, no external stimulations…I always look forward to it,” 43-year-old Tomy told Arab News during an interview via Zoom. 

The solo, non-stop, around-the-world yacht race, which was first held in 1968-1969 as the “Sunday Times Golden Globe Race,” made a welcome return in 2018 on its 50th anniversary as a tribute to the original event and its achievements.

For its third edition, kicking off on Sept. 4, 2022, competitors will stick to the established rules of using basic boats and equipment and avoiding modern technology to complete their journeys.  

Following the exact route traveled in the first edition, sailors will set off from Les Sables-d’Olonne in France and make their way around the world via five Great Capes before returning to the starting point. 

“I will be out of touch with my kid and my family for around eight to nine months, but it’s an added anxiety that you just come to terms with,” said Tomy.

“If a negative thought enters your mind, it stays there for many days,” he said. “So, I make a conscious effort to keep my mind healthy during those many months of solitude.”

Looking back at his first attempt at the GGR in 2018, a feat that nearly killed him, Tomy believes the upcoming race is his second chance to achieve one of his greatest dreams.  

“The 2018 GGR was a very difficult time, but I never blamed the sea for what happened.

“I was in third position when the storm happened, and out of the three boats that encountered this storm, two were lost,” he said. 

Tomy was sailing the Thuraya, an exact replica of the boat Suhaili used by the race’s first winner of 1968, Sir Robin Knox Johnston, when he faced an extreme storm that dismantled his yacht 80 days into the race.

“I had a couple of knockdowns in the storm. 

“The first knockdown broke my mizzen boom, a few antennas and the wind generator,” he said. “The boat was a complete mess inside.”

While hand steering the boat in rocky waters halfway between Australia and South Africa, Tomy encountered severe winds that flung him into the water, separating him from his boat and pushing him deep underwater. 

“When the boat straightened, I was on top of the mizzen mast, which is about 9 meters high. From there, I fell, my back hit the boom and that’s when I fractured my spine,” he said.

Tomy, who was not aware of the extent of his injury at the time, tried to clean up his boat, repeatedly attempting to stand up before finally buckling at the knees.

“While I was injured and lying in the bunk for three and a half days, I was already making plans to take part in the next GGR,” said Tomy.

After reaching out to the race control and turning his emergency position-indicating radio beacon on, he was finally rescued on day 83 of the race and underwent a two-day spinal surgery over a week later. 

His short journey at the GGR 2018, however, came five years after one of his life’s greatest accomplishments. 

On March 31, 2013, Tomy became the first Indian and second Asian to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation around the world on a boat. 

Sailing 23,000 nautical miles from India, the championed sailor crossed the Indian, Southern Pacific and Atlantic oceans, rounding three Great Capes: Cape Leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn in South America and Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

After 151 days at sea, Tomy was greeted with a ceremonial reception by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the president of India at the time.  

This time around, Tomy aims to complete his sail around the world for the second time and cross the GGR finish line, traveling close to 56,000 km. 

“I’ve decided that if at all I go into a similar storm, I am going to stay inside the boat and try to save myself at the very least,” he told Arab News. 

Since his accident, Tomy has undergone extensive physiotherapy to rebuild his strength and improve his fitness levels for the 2022 race.

He also retired from the Indian navy after serving for 24 years, leaving an environment he was very familiar with, having spent much of his childhood on bases across the country since his father was in the Naval Police. 

“It was important that I transitioned, but it was a very emotional moment for me,” Tomy said. “You really can’t take the navy out of me.”

This year, Tomy has solely focused on preparing for the GGR 2022, recently crossing the English Channel over a distance of 2,000 nautical miles to qualify for the race.

On Sunday, he will be sailing a UAE-flagged boat sponsored by Bayanat, an AI-powered geospatial intelligence company, and contributing to the company’s ongoing scientific work. 

“This race takes you to the corners of the Earth that are not really visited by ships or humans, and I am going to be collecting water samples all along the way so that Bayanat can eventually study the microplastic content in them,” said Tomy.

The samples will be sent to one of the company’s healthcare labs to undergo multiple assessments, Hasan Hosani, CEO of Bayanat, told Arab News.

“The target is to publish the data and contribute to learning more about the environment,” said Hosani. 

In parallel, the data collection company will also utilize satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radars to capture images of various locations throughout Tomy’s journey in the GGR. 

“We will be creating an imagery book of captured images across the globe in different resolutions and angles using remote sensing once the race is complete,” said Hosani.

Praising Tomy’s passion for sailing and perseverance, Hosani ensures that Bayanat’s tasks will not interfere with his focus on completing the race safely — and possibly winning it.  

Eagerly looking forward to his time at sea, Tomy says he is not worried about feeling bored.

“Sailing a boat is mostly like running a kitchen; every day you have some repairs to do and chores to keep up with,” he said.

According to him, sailing is a sport that brings about a lot of character development. 

“It makes you patient, self-sufficient and gives you time to read books,” said Tomy. “I will have a lot of work to do.”


Palmeiras ease past Al Ahly in Club World Cup

Updated 10 sec ago
Follow

Palmeiras ease past Al Ahly in Club World Cup

The match was suspended in the 63rd minute because of a weather warning
Victory took Palmeiras provisionally top on four points

EAST RUTHERFORD, USA: Palmeiras drew first blood in Club World Cup Group A with a 2-0 victory over Al Ahly on Thursday in New Jersey.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami face Porto later on in the group’s other clash after two goalless draws in the first round of fixtures.

The match was suspended in the 63rd minute because of a weather warning, with players and fans at the MetLife Stadium instructed to “take shelter” because of a nearby storm.

Palmeiras were leading by two goals at the time, with a Wessam Abou Ali own goal sending the Brazilians ahead in the 49th minute before Flaco Lopez doubled their lead on the Egyptians 10 minutes later.

Victory took Palmeiras provisionally top on four points, with the other three sides level on one point each.

It was the third match at the tournament affected by adverse weather at the tournament.

On Tuesday Mamelodi Sundowns game against Ulsan HD was suspended just before kick-off for just over an hour due to a weather alert.

Then on Wednesday RB Salzburg’ s match against Pachuca was suspended in the second half for 97 minutes because of a storm.

Palmeiras, led by talented youngster Estevao Willian, who is set to join Chelsea, played well but were held by Porto in their opening clash.

Al Ahly kept them at bay in a tight first half, in which English referee Anthony Taylor sent off Palmeiras midfielder Raphael Veiga for a foul on Ahmed Zizo, before overturning his decision following a VAR review.

Palestinian striker Abou Ali headed Anibal Moreno’s free-kick into his own net to hand Palmeiras the lead.

Lopez finished coolly for the Brazilians’ second after Mauricio played him through on goal.

After the suspension of around 45 minutes for the weather warning, Palmeiras played out the remainder of the match comfortably without risking their advantage.

South American sides have come into the tournament strongly, in good condition given they are in the middle of their domestic seasons, and have stayed unbeaten to this point.

Man City fined more than a million pounds for delayed kickoffs

Updated 19 June 2025
Follow

Man City fined more than a million pounds for delayed kickoffs

  • The club accepted and apologized for the rule breaches
  • City are awaiting the verdict of 115 unrelated charges of alleged breaches of the FFP rules

MANCHESTER: Manchester City have been fined more than one million pounds by the Premier League for breaching the rules around delayed kickoffs and restarts nine times last season, England’s top-flight league said on Thursday.

The fine comes a year after City paid 2 million pounds ($2.56 million) to the league for breaching the same game-delay rules.

The club accepted and apologized for the rule breaches, and confirmed they have reminded their players and staff of their responsibilities in complying with the rules.

“Rules relating to kick-offs and re-starts help ensure the organization of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs,” the league said in a statement.

“It also ensures the broadcast of every Premier League match is kept to schedule.”

Fines totalling 1.08 million pounds were imposed relating to City’s home games against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, West Ham United and Newcastle United and their away fixtures against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Ipswich Town.

The longest game delays were two minutes 22 seconds each for restarts v West Ham and Ipswich.

City are awaiting the verdict of 115 unrelated charges of alleged breaches of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

The charges cover a period starting from 2009 and continuing into the 2022-23 season. City have always denied any wrongdoing.


Soccer fans storm field in Libya and a Portuguese referee is injured during a suspended match

Updated 19 June 2025
Follow

Soccer fans storm field in Libya and a Portuguese referee is injured during a suspended match

  • The match was suspended in the 39th minute
  • Al-Ittihad’s bus was set on fire, the club said in a statement

TRIPOLI: A highly-anticipated derby in Libya’s top soccer league was suspended after fans stormed the pitch and officials said Thursday the Portuguese referee and some fans were injured.

The match Wednesday between Al-Ahly Tripoli and Al-Ittihad was suspended in the 39th minute when Al-Ahli substitutes and fans stormed the pitch in protest of Al-Ittihad players’ celebration of their opening goal.

Al-Ittihad’s bus was set on fire, the club said in a statement.

Players and soccer officials fled the stadium amid a fan disturbance outside the facility. Footage circuited online showed clashes between fans and security forces in and around the stadium.

Al-Ahly blamed what they called a “provocative act” by one of Al-Ittihad players for the disturbance.

They said in a statement that security forces used “excessive force and live fire” against fans at the club’s headquarters.

Local media reported that Portuguese referee Fábio José Costa was injured.


FIFA hands four-match bans to Boca Juniors players sent off in Club World Cup opener

Updated 19 June 2025
Follow

FIFA hands four-match bans to Boca Juniors players sent off in Club World Cup opener

  • Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players
  • “We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal,” said the club

MIAMI: Boca Juniors players Ander Herrera and Nicolas Figal were handed four-match bans by FIFA after being sent off in their Club World Cup opener against Benfica, a spokesperson for the Argentine club told Reuters on Wednesday.

Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players after Benfica’s Andrea Belotti received a two-match ban for catching Ayrton Costa in the head with a high boot in the 72nd minute.

“We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal,” said the club spokesperson.

Spanish midfielder Herrera, who was subbed off due to a muscle injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after protesting to Mexican referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to the Portuguese side.

Defender Figal was sent off in the 88th minute with a straight red card for a foul on Florentino Luis when the match was tied at 2-2.

Boca will face Bayern Munich at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday in their second match in Group C.


Biaggio Ali Walsh gets support from Muslim community ahead of SmartCage return

Updated 19 June 2025
Follow

Biaggio Ali Walsh gets support from Muslim community ahead of SmartCage return

  • Grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali takes on Ronnie Gibbs on June 27 as part of PFL World Championship semifinals

DUBAI: Undefeated fighter Biaggio Ali Walsh has revealed how the Muslim community in Las Vegas, Nevada, is supporting him ahead of his highly anticipated return to the Professional Fighters League’s SmartCage.

Family, friends and members of the community gathered at Masjid As-Sabur, the oldest mosque in Las Vegas, on June 13 to show their support for Walsh ahead of his upcoming fight — a showcase lightweight bout against Ronnie Gibbs on June 27, which is part of the 2025 PFL World Championship semifinals, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Walsh explained: “Some people from the community, family and friends, came and helped, supporting my fight coming up.

“I’m just super grateful for all the love and support; I feel it radiating throughout me.”

It was a special night of fellowship as everyone prayed, enjoyed food, and wished Walsh well. 

Walsh, who is the grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, spoke about the importance of faith and how essential it is to have a deep relationship with God.

He said: “Faith is everything in life, period. I feel like if you have good faith and deep faith in God and trust God, you can do anything.

“It’s everything, it’s the only thing I know, and that’s the only thing that helps calm me before these kinds of fights.”

He added: “I’m really excited for the fight … thank you guys so much for coming out, and inshallah, I will come back victorious.”

Initially making waves as a standout collegiate football player, the 26-year old found his way to mixed martial arts and ultimately made the full-time leap.

It was this transition to combat sports that, he said, helped strengthen his faith and his relationship with God.

In 2024, shortly after turning pro in MMA, Walsh deepened his devotion by partaking in Umrah, the spiritual journey to Makkah.

Coming from a family of elite fighters, it is no surprise that Walsh is making an impact on the MMA scene.

In addition to the Muhammad Ali connection, Walsh’s aunt is world champion boxer Laila Ali. His younger brother Nico is also a professional boxer.

Now with a 2-0 record in his professional MMA career, Walsh is determined to carry on the Ali legacy into a new era — and with faith, family, and community behind him, he has never been more ready.