Mangaluru, May 31 (PTI) Tamil Nadu’s talented teenager Kamali Moorthy, who secured India’s surfing quota for the upcoming Asian Games, completed a remarkable double by winning both the Women’s Open and Surfing Juniors U-18 Girls titles at the finals of the seventh NMPA Indian Open of Surfing here on Sunday.
The championship is one of the premier events on the national surfing calendar and serves as a key selection event for India’s squad for the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
Another promising surfer from Tamil Nadu, Kishore Kumar, was crowned champion in the Men’s Open category, while local favourite Pradeep Pujar secured Karnataka’s only title of the championship by winning the Surfing Juniors U-18 Boys title.
Harish P and Dhamayanthi
Sriram also emerged victorious in the newly introduced U-14 Boys (Groms) and U-14 Girls (Groms) categories respectively.
Following the conclusion of the championship, selections for the Indian surfing team for the Asian Games will be determined based on the results of the Indian Open, the inaugural Andaman Little Pro 2026, coaching camps, performances at international events, and overall rankings.
Kamali successfully defended her title with an impressive comeback performance, clinching the top spot in the Women’s Open category with a score of 13.17.
Sugar Shanti Banarse finished a close second with 11.73, while Shrishti Selvam finished third with a score of 8.50.
Kishore Kumar of Tamil Nadu lived up to expectations by winning the Men’s Open category crown with a score of 15.20.
In a fiercely contested final, he finished ahead of Ramesh Budihal (12.87), Sivaraj Babu (11.90) and Srikanth D (9.93).
The championship-deciding heat featured some of the country’s finest surfers battling for top honours. PTI PDS PDS TAP
