Kamali Moorthi after winning the Women’s Open and Groms Girls titles and the U-16 category at the 5th Indian Open of Surfing in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Tamil Nadu surfers bagged top honors in all four categories of the fifth edition of the three-day India Open Surfing (IOS) which concluded at Sasihithlu Beach in Mangaluru on Sunday.
The categories are Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Boys & U-16 Groms and Girls & U-16 Groms. The IOS is the official national championship of the Indian Surfing Federation, the governing body for surfing and paddling.
Ajeesh Ali, who participated in the Paris Olympic qualifiers (2023 ISA World Surfing Games, El Salvador) last year, was crowned the new IOS champion in the Men’s Open category.
Teenage sensation Kamali Moorthi completed her double triumph by winning the Women’s Open and Groms Girls & U-16 categories, successfully defending her title. Another Tamil Nadu teenager, Tayin Arun, impressed the judges with his maneuvers and was crowned the new IOS champion in the Groms Boys & U-16 category, said a release from the Federation.
The championship is organized by Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by Mantra Surf Club. Venkata Ramana Akkaraju, Chairman of New Mangalore Port Authority, and Dhananjaya Shetty, Director of Surfing Swami Foundation, presented the winners with cash prizes, trophies and certificates.
Winners and runners-up of the 5th Indian Open of Surfing with dignitaries in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Last day’s action
The final day’s action begins with the semi-finals of the Groms 16 and Under Boys category. Local favorite Pradeep Pujar led the pack with a score of 8.80, advancing to the final along with Prahlad Sriram (8.50), Harish P (8.26), and Tayin Arun (6.76).
The action then moved to the semi-finals of the Groms 16 and Under Girls category. Tamil Nadu surfers Dhamayanthi Sriram and Mahathi Srinivasabharathi qualified for the final with scores of 4.57 and 3.54 respectively. Kamali Moorthi, the top seed from Tamil Nadu, has been given the last place based on the national ranking.
Groms 16 and Under Boys category
In the finals of the Groms 16 and Under Boys category, Tayin Arun impressed the judges with his acrobatics, winning the first title in IOS with a score of 10.17. Harish P (8.40) and Prahlad Sriram (7.47) made for an exciting competition, finishing second and third respectively. Mantra Surf Club’s Pradeep Pujar finished fourth with a score of 5.34. Speaking after winning his first IOS title, Mr. Arun said that this was his first IOS title and he hoped to win more titles in the future.
Groms 16 and Under Girls category
The final day also featured the Groms 16 and Under Girls finals, an all-Tamil Nadu affair. Kamali Moorthi won with a score of 12.17, securing the title by a wide margin. Dhamayanthi Sriram (5.93) and Mahathi Srinivasabharathi (2.07) came second and third respectively.
Men’s Open Category
Ajeesh Ali in action at the 5th Indian Open of Surfing in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The main event of the day was the Men’s Open Surfing final, an all Tamil Nadu affair, featuring the top surfers from across the country. Ajeesh Ali, who is representing India at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador, ran away with the title with the highest score (14.70). The intense action and exciting competition in these categories captivated the audience. Srikanth D. (12.57) and Sanjaikumar S. (11.10) were runner-up and second runner-up respectively, while Sanjay Selvamani was fourth with a score of 6.17.
On this occasion Mr. Ali said that he was the runner-up in the previous edition. “Winning the Indian Open of Surfing was something I wanted to do. My experience in El Salvador last year for the Paris Olympic qualifiers allowed me to compete with some of the best surfers in the world and learn a lot from them. Today’s conditions were challenging with slow waves, but luckily, I had a special place for these conditions. The competition is fierce, as fellow surfers are among the best in the country.
Women’s Open Category
Sugar Banarse in action at the 5th Indian Open of Surfing in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Women’s Open surfing category final concluded the event with fierce competition between India’s leading women surfers. Kamali Moorthi triumphed, winning the IOS women’s title in a thrilling final. Kamali scored 12.40 in the final, narrowly beating 2022 champion Sugar Banarse of Goa, who scored 12.23 and finished runner-up by just 0.17 points. Mumbai’s Neha Vaid was third with a score of 2.97.
Speaking after winning the title twice, Ms. Moorthi said he was very happy to have successfully defended his title. “The Women’s Open category was challenging because I was up against Sugar Banarse, the 2022 champion. Despite that, I was able to stay calm and never put pressure before the final.
The Chief Justice said
Speaking about the surfing conditions on Sunday, Indonesia’s Dylan Amar, who is the Chief Judge at the Indian Open Surfing, said: “The conditions on Sunday were very good, making the place very competitive. Over the three days, the athletes put on a great show. If they maintain this level of effort, the Indian surfers could soon make it to the Olympics.
Participants in the 5th Indian Open Surfing competition at Sasihithlu Beach, in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: PTI
