Mangaluru, June 1, 2024: The second day of the 5th edition of the Indian Open of Surfing kicked off with a beautiful morning and enticing waves at the picturesque Sasihithlu Beach in Mangalore, Karnataka. This premier three-day surfing competition, the official national championship of the Surfing Federation of India, saw Tamil Nadu surfers extending their dominance by securing all four final spots in the Men’s Open category and two spots in the Women’s Open category. The event is organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by Mantra Surf Club, under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India.
Day 2 began with the quarterfinals of the Men’s Open surf category. Tamil Nadu’s Sivaraj Babu continued his strong performance from the previous day, achieving the highest score of 15.17 points. Joining him in the semifinals were Sanjaikumar S (12.83), Sanjay Selvamani (11.63), Ajeesh Ali (11.43), Srikanth D (10.33), Manivanna T (9.40), Harish M (9.23), and Ruban V (7.93).
The day’s proceedings continued with the Surfing Groms 16 and Under Boys quarterfinals. Harish P, currently ranked 5th in India, scored the highest in this category with 10.17 points. Competition was fierce between East and West coast surfers, with the Pujar brothers keeping Karnataka’s hopes alive. Other top scorers advancing to the semifinals included Tayin Arun (7.60), Prahlad Sriram (7.17), Raju Pujar (7.33), Pradeep Pujar (6.47), Akash Pujar (5.80), Yogesh A (4.40), and Som Sethi (4.40). The semifinals and finals of this category will take place tomorrow.
The Women’s Open surf category semifinals also took place, with defending champion Kamali Moorthi impressing the judges with her maneuvering and scoring 11.23 points. Goa surfer Sugar Banarase put up a strong challenge, scoring 8.93 points. Neha Vaid (2.20) and Marielle Wunderink (1.87) also qualified for the finals. The finals will be held tomorrow.
Speaking after securing her spot in the finals, Kamali said, “The conditions were a little tricky as the waves were breaking back to back, making it take some time to paddle in. There was some competition in the heats as well. I have no pressure, but if I keep thinking about the finals tomorrow, I’ll start feeling it. So, I just want to have fun and I look forward to defending my title tomorrow.”
The day concluded with the Men’s Open category semifinal, showcasing fierce competition among the country’s top surfers. Sanjaikumar S, Sanjay Selvamani, Srikanth D, and Ajeesh Ali earned their places in the final with scores of 11.17, 11.03, 9.90, and 9.70 respectively. The highlight of the category was the surprising elimination of Sivaraj Babu, the top scorer from both today and the previous day, who did not make it to the finals.
Speaking after securing his spot in the finals, Sanjaikumar said, “Today’s surfing conditions were good, with a bit of wind adding to the challenge. We had strong competition and felt some pressure. For the final tomorrow, I aim to play my natural game and hope to win the title.”
The event has received significant support from the New Mangalore Port Authority, announced as the Title Sponsor for the first time. The Karnataka Government, the ‘Presented by’ sponsor, has extended its support for the fifth consecutive year. Cycle Pure Agarbatti and Explurger (social media partner) have joined as ‘Powered by’ sponsors for the Indian Open of Surfing.
