India's First International Paddle Festival 2024: Full List Of Top Athletes, Indian Contingent

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Mangalore is set to host a landmark event in the world of Stand-Up Paddling (SUP) with the first-ever India Paddle Festival, scheduled from 08th to 10th March 2024 at Sasihithlu Beach, Karnataka.

This event will mark India's debut on the international SUP scene, featuring some of the world's top paddlers, including Men's and Women's World No. 2, Spanish athletes Fernando Perez and Esperanza Barreras.

The festival is not only a significant milestone for the sport in India but also comes ahead of the 2024 APP World Tour, bringing an added layer of excitement to the paddling community.

The India Paddle Festival has been officially sanctioned by the Association of PaddleSurf Professionals World Tour (APP), the global governing body for the sport.

The event promises an impressive lineup of participants, with 45 stand-up paddlers set to compete across four categories: Men's Open, Women's Open, Junior U-16 Boys, and Girls. India's hopes will be led by national champion Sekar Patchai, alongside notable athletes Manikandan D and Akash J Shetty.

Esperanza Barreras, a force to be reckoned with in the Women's Open category, boasts an impressive resume as a four-time ISA SUP World Champion, 2022 European Champion, and a three-time ICF World Champion.

Her Spanish compatriot, Fernando Perez, will be the focal point in the Men's Open category. Perez, the APP Korea 2023 Champion, has an impressive track record, including a seventh-place finish in both ISA and ICF Long Distance competitions.

Other prominent figures in the Men's Open category include Antonio Morillo of Spain, ranked 16th globally, and Pluem Koman of Thailand, ranked 17th. Morillo has achieved notable success in European and ICF World Title races, while Koman is celebrated as the SUP Thailand Champion.

The junior categories will feature rising stars like Bianca Toncelli from Italy, the current SUP Junior Champion, who has made a mark in the 2023 Gran Canaria Pro Euro Tour SUP.

The Indian Contingent

Leading India's challenge will be Sekar Patchai, ranked 1 in India and 18th in the SUP World Rank (ISA) in 2018. A 25-time National Stand-Up Paddling champion, Patchai's participation is a significant boost for the home country. Alongside him, Manikandan D, the country's top 2 SUP athlete, will also compete in the Men's Open category, aiming to make a strong impression.

The Association of PaddleSurf Professionals World Tour (APP) has expressed enthusiasm about entering the Indian market with this championship. Organised by the Surfing Swami Foundation and presented by Karnataka Tourism, the India Paddle Festival represents a pivotal moment for SUP in the region, signifying the sport's growing popularity and the potential for further development in the coming years.