Mangaluru (Karnataka), May 29 (IANS) Top surfers of the country took the spotlight and the waves as the seventh edition of the Indian Open of Surfing, India’s premier surfing competition, got underway at the Blue Bay Tannirbhavi Eco Beach in Mangaluru on Friday.

Serving as a key stop in the National Championship Series and an important event in India’s Asian Games selection cycle, the championship began under excellent surfing conditions, with clean waves and favourable weather providing the perfect stage for the country’s top surfers.

In the Women’s Open category, Kamali Moorthy, Sugar Shanthi Banarse, Ishita Malaviya, Devi Ramanathan, Saanvi Hegde, and Shrishti Selvam advanced to the semi-finals, scheduled for the final day of the championship.

Competition on the opening day featured action across the Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Under-18 Boys, and Under-14 Boys divisions. While the Men’s Open category completed its opening round across 12 heats, the Women’s Open competition progressed through the quarter-final stage. The junior categories also witnessed intense competition, with the Under-18 Boys division contesting its opening-round heats and the newly introduced Under-14 Boys category advancing through the quarter-finals.

The day began with the Men’s Open category, where 45 surfers competed across 12 heats in a fierce battle for qualification. The top two surfers from each heat progressed to Round 2, scheduled for Saturday.

Among the standout performers were Kishore Kumar (12.90), Ramesh Budihal (12.57), Tayin Arun (12.10), Sanjaikumar S (11.84), Ajeesh Ali (11.74), Akilan S (11.66), Sivaraj Babu (11.33), Sanjay Selvamani (11.33), Harish M (10.27), Srikanth D (9.33), Ruban V (7.93) and Som Sethi (7.30).

The Women’s Open quarterfinals saw Tamil Nadu’s Kamali Moorthy emerge as the highest scorer of the day across all categories with an impressive score of 13.83. Goa’s Sugar Shanthi Banarse followed closely with 11.00 as both surfers secured their places in the semi-finals with commanding performances and excellent manoeuvring skills in the challenging conditions.

Joining them in the semifinals are Ishita Malaviya (6.40), Devi Ramanathan (5.90), Saanvi Hegde (5.37), and Shrishti Selvam (5.33).

The Surfing Juniors Under-18 Boys category also saw exciting action as 19 surfers competed across six heats for a place in the quarterfinals. Surfers who secured qualification included Harish P. (12.67), Tayin Arun (10.33), Som Sethi (9.93), Pradeep Pujar (9.07), Prahlad Sriram (8.60), Sheik Davudh S (6.93), Yogesh A (6.33), Raju Suresh Pujar (5.63), Praveen Pujar (4.40), Harus Mohaiyadeen (3.63), Sanku Karthek (3.07), and Akash Pujar (2.57).

The opening day concluded with the quarterfinals of the newly introduced Surfing Juniors Under-14 Boys category. Harish P. (11.33), Sheik Davudh S (6.67), Yogesh A. (6.50), Prahlad Sriram (5.43), Prashanth (4.53), Mukhesh (3.70), Likhith Salian (2.67), and Ishant K. Sateesh (2.07) secured their places in the semi-finals scheduled for Saturday.

Shamanth Kumar, Secretary, Karnataka Surfing Association, said, “The response from surfers and the local community has been extremely positive. The conditions on the opening day were excellent and set the tone for a great championship. This championship plays a very important role in the national ranking system and India’s preparations for future international events, including the Asian Games.”

Saurabh Verma, Manager, Athlete Relations, Sports Authority of India, said, “The growth of surfing in India over the last few years has been remarkable. Platforms like this championship are helping athletes gain valuable competitive exposure.”

The championship is being organised by the Mantra Surf Club and Surfing Swami Foundation under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), with support from the Government of Karnataka and the Karnataka Surfing Association. The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) has returned as the title sponsor for a third consecutive year, while Cycle Pure Agarbatti and Deconstruct Skincare continue their association as Gold Sponsors, underlining the growing institutional and corporate support behind the development of surfing in India.

–IANS

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