Indian Open of Surfing: Srikanth D claims men's title

Mangalore [Karnataka], June 21 (ANI): Tamil Nadu's Srikanth D clinched the Men's Open title while Kamali Moorthy defended both her titles in the Women's Open and Groms Girls (U-16) categories at the 6th Indian Open of Surfing, the second leg of the 2025 National Surfing Championship Series which concluded in Mangalore.

On Friday, Prahlad Sriram of Tamil Nadu also secured the title in the Groms Boys (U-16) category. Organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India, the national championship once again highlighted Tamil Nadu's dominance in all four categories.

Originally scheduled from May 30 to June 1, the competition had to be postponed due to adverse weather conditions in Mangalore. It was later held behind closed doors, with only participants and officials in attendance, as per a press release.

-Srikanth D Emerges as New Men's Champion

After finishing second in last year's final, Srikanth D returned stronger and more focused, with a winning score of 14.63, edging out reigning national champion Ramesh Budilal, who finished second with 11.87. Sivaraj Babu (9.77) and Sanjay Selvamani (7.07) rounded off the top four.

-Double Delight for Kamali Moorthy

Defending champion Kamali Moorthy continued her reign as India's leading female surfer, winning both the Women's Open and Groms Girls (U-16) categories once again. Her score of 13.33 in the Women's Open final saw her convincingly beat Sugar Shanti Banarse (10.50), while Shrishti Selvam scored 2.47 to finish third.

In the Groms Girls final, Kamali delivered a spectacular performance, posting the highest heat total of the event--a staggering 15.50--to seal her title defence. The young sensation finished well ahead of Aadya Singh (2.36) and Saanvi Hegde (2.20).

-Prahlad Sriram Makes Waves in Groms Boys (U-16)

In the Groms Boys (U-16) final, Prahlad Sriram emerged victorious with a total of 11.06, narrowly beating Harish P (9.67) and Som Sethi (9.30). The contest in this category was particularly close, highlighting the depth of young surfing talent in India.

-Delayed but Determined: A Successful Edition

The event was originally scheduled to be held from May 30 to June 1, 2025, but had to be postponed due to adverse weather and rough sea conditions caused by early monsoon activity and cyclonic disturbances in the Arabian Sea. Despite the disruptions, the organising committee, comprising the Surfing Swami Foundation, Mantra Surf Club, and Surfing Federation of India (SFI) ensured that the championship resumed later in a more controlled format, giving athletes a fair and safe platform to compete.

"While the event had to be rescheduled and scaled down, the quality of surfing remained exceptional. The Indian Open of Surfing, the second stop on the National Surfing Championship Series, faced some delays, but we were committed to ensuring that the competition took place, as cancelling it would have impacted the surfers' national rankings," said Rammohan Paranjape, Vice President of Surfing Federation of India and Director of Mantra Surf Club.

Though it was a low-key event held behind closed doors, the spirit of competition and the passion displayed by the athletes were truly inspiring. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and commend every participant for competing with such dedication and resilience," he added. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)