Tamil Nadu Surfers Excel At Indian Open Of Surfing, Day 2 Highlights

Mangalore, Jun 1: The second day of the 5th Indian Open of Surfing started with ideal waves at Sasihithlu beach, Mangalore. Tamil Nadu surfers shone, securing all final spots in the Men's Open category. Held by the Surfing Federation of India, this event is the national championship for surfing and stand-up paddling.

The event has major backing from the New Mangalore Port Authority, the Title Sponsor for the first time. The Karnataka Government continues its support for the fifth year as the 'Presented by' sponsor. Cycle Pure Agarbatti and Explurger are 'Powered by' sponsors.

Men's Open Category

The Men's Open quarterfinals saw Sivaraj Babu lead with 15.17 points, followed by Sanjaikumar S (12.83), Sanjay Selvamani (11.63), and others. Tamil Nadu's surfers continued to excel, with Sivaraj, Sanjaikumar, and Sanjay advancing to the semifinals.

Surfing Groms (U-16) Boys

Harish P, ranked 5th in India, scored 10.17 in the Groms Boys (U-16) quarterfinals. Karnataka's Pujar brothers also performed well, keeping the state's hopes alive. Other semifinalists included Tayin Arun (7.60) and Prahlad Sriram (7.17). The semifinals and finals are set for tomorrow.

Women's Open Category

The Women's Open semifinals featured impressive performances. Defending champion Kamali Moorthi scored 11.23 points. Goa's Sugar Banarase scored 8.93 points, securing her spot in the finals. Neha Vaid (2.20) and Marielle Wunderink (1.87) also advanced.

"The conditions were tricky with back-to-back breaking waves. I have no pressure and aim to have fun defending my title tomorrow," said Kamali Moorthi.

Men's Open Semifinals

The Men's Open semifinals concluded the day with intense competition. Sanjaikumar S (11.17), Sanjay Selvamani (11.03), Srikanth D (9.90), and Ajeesh Ali (9.70) secured final spots. Surprisingly, top scorer Sivaraj Babu did not advance.