Little Andaman, April 10 (IANS) Tamil Nadu surfers dominated proceedings on the opening day of the inaugural Little Andaman Pro 2026, the first-ever national surfing and stand-up paddling championship to be held in the Andaman & Nicobar group of Islands, which got underway on Friday at the iconic Butler Bay beach.

Teenage sensation Kishore Kumar (15.00), Sivaraj Babu (15.17), Srikanth D (13.00), and Ramesh Budhial (13.67) were among the standout performers in the surfing Men’s Open category, showcasing impressive skill and control on the waves. In the surfing Women’s Open category, Kamali Moorthy (5.94), Shrishti Selvam (9.50), and Sugar Shanti Banarase (9.63) delivered strong performances to secure their spots in the quarterfinals scheduled for Saturday.

The event is being organised by the Surfing Federation of India and is completely sponsored by Andaman Tourism.

In the surfing, Men’s Open category, a total of 38 surfers competed across 10 heats in Round 1. Out of these, 20 surfers advanced directly to Round 3 by finishing in the top two positions in their respective heats, while the remaining 18 surfers will compete in the repechage (Round 2) on Day 2.

Among the other top performers who qualified for Round 3 are Akilan S (10.50), Sanjay Selvamani (10.33), Sanjaikumar S (10.16), Logesh S (8.93), Ruban V (7.90), Ajeesh Ali (7.13), Nithish Varun (7.03), Prahlad Sriram (6.70), Harish M (6.66), Sheik Davudh (6.13), Raju Pujar (5.83), Kamesh S (5.73), Hareesh CJ (5.17), Pradeep Pujar (4.50), Selvarasan Nagamuthu (4.07), and Jeevan S (3.96).

The surfers who will compete in the repechage round include Naveenkumar R (3.34), Raghul Paneerselvam (6.33), Yogesh A (4.54), M Selvam (5.30), Sanku Karthek (4.27), Manikandan M (5.64), Manivannan T (1.96), Rajaguru S (3.64), Arland Thomas (2.80), Sekar Pachai (4.43), Thirunavu Karasan (0.17), Ram Kumar (4.17), Biswajit Bose (2.04), Yash Sinojia (1.80), Tayin Arun (5.83), Harish P (5.63), Som Sethi (3.30), and Praveen Ratod (3.13).

In the surfing Women’s Open category, additional surfers who advanced to the quarterfinals include Devi Ramanathan (2.93), Sandhya Arun (2.80), Nitisha Sethia (3.46), Riva Aurora (4.16), and Arti S (3.24). Meanwhile, Aparna S (2.14), Garvita Baldua (1.93), Ishita Malaviya (2.10), and Avantika Mishra (3.04) will compete in the repechage round to secure their places in the knockout stage.

“The conditions were good today, with consistent two to three-foot waves allowing us to complete a full day of competition without interruptions. The format worked well, with non-elimination heats ensuring all surfers get another chance through the repechage. Butler Bay, being a reef break, offers conditions very different from mainland India, making it a unique and valuable experience for most of the surfers competing here”, said Nawaz Jabbar, Competition Director.

The day also witnessed action in Stand-Up Paddling (SUP), where 16 stand-up paddlers competed across three quarterfinal heats in the Men’s Sprint category. Out of these, the top 4 advanced to the semi-finals, which are scheduled for the last day. Sekar Patchai clocked the fastest time of 1:04.70 in the 200m regatta, followed closely by Dinesh Selvamani (1:05.89). The other athletes progressing to the semi-finals include Manikandan M (1:06.30) and Rajesh D (1:06.50).

In the Men’s SUP Technical category, two semi-finals were held, with Sekar Patchai once again leading the field, finishing the 2km race with the fastest time of 6:01.15. He was followed by Manikandan M (6:05.66), Rajesh D (6:08.02), and Dinesh S (6:14.28), all of whom have advanced to the finals scheduled for the last day of the national championship.

The championship, which marks the beginning of India’s surfing season, has brought together top talent from across the country and highlights the growing stature of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as an emerging hub for surfing in India. With crucial repechage rounds and knockout qualifications on the line, Day 2 promises more high-intensity action at Butler Bay.

–IANS

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