Tamil Nadu's teenage surfing prodigy Kamali Moorthy delivered a stunning double at the seventh Indian Open of Surfing 2026 in Mangaluru on 31 May, winning both the Women's Open and the Surfing Juniors U-18 Girls titles — and in doing so, secured India's surfing quota for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The championship, held on the Karnataka coast, doubles as the primary selection platform for India's Asian Games squad.

Kamali's dominant Women's Open victory

Moorthy defended her Women's Open title with composure under pressure, posting a winning score of 13.17. Sugar Shanti Banarse finished second with 11.73, and Shrishti Selvam took third with 8.50. The final was an absorbing contest between the two favourites — Banarse opened with a strong early wave, but Moorthy, the defending champion and current national series leader, executed a decisive late-heat ride to retake the lead and seal the title.

Kishore Kumar claims Men's Open crown

Tamil Nadu's Kishore Kumar met expectations in the Men's Open final, topping the scoreboard with 15.20 points. He edged out Ramesh Budihal (12.87), Sivaraj Babu (11.90), and Srikanth D (9.93) in a highly competitive four-man final. Budihal opened strongly, but Kumar responded with impressive early rides and steadily extended his lead. Sivaraj's aggressive approach could not yield clean scores, and he finished third.

After his win, Kumar said, 'Winning the Men's Open title at such an important championship is a very special feeling. With the Asian Games on the horizon, I look forward to the team selection process and will stay focused on representing India to the best of my ability.'

Pradeep Pujar delivers for Karnataka

Local favourite Pradeep Pujar thrilled the home crowd by winning the Surfing Juniors U-18 Boys title with a score of 12.17, earning Karnataka's only championship trophy of the event. His second-to-last wave — featuring bold manoeuvres executed with confidence — was the standout moment of the final. Tamil Nadu's Tayin Arun finished second with 11.26, and Prahlad Sriram took third with 9.50.

Pujar said, 'Winning my first national championship title, especially in front of my home crowd, is an incredible feeling and a moment I will always cherish. The competition was very tough, and all the finalists pushed each other to perform at their best. I would like to thank my coach, the Surfing Swami Foundation, my family and everyone who has supported me throughout my journey.'

Kamali completes her double in U-18 Girls

Fresh from her Women's Open win, Moorthy returned to dominate the Surfing Juniors U-18 Girls final, taking an early lead with a series of powerful rides and never relinquishing it. Her winning score of 14.83 was well clear of Karnataka's Saanvi Hegde (5.67) and Aadya Singh (2.73). After completing the double, Moorthy said, 'I'm thrilled to have won both the Women's Open and U-18 Girls titles at the Indian Open of Surfing 2026. With the Asian Games selection process approaching, I'm excited for what's ahead and will continue working hard to earn my place in Team India.'

New U-14 categories highlight India's emerging talent

The inaugural U-14 Boys (Groms) and U-14 Girls (Groms) categories showcased the depth of India's next generation of surfers. Harish P dominated the boys' division with 17.23 points, ahead of Sheik Davudh S (12.97) and Prahlad Sriram (8.40). In the girls' division, Dhamayanthi Sriram claimed the title with 10.50 points, followed by Arabolu Nethra (8.13) and Sanvita Kundar (5.54).

The event was organised by the Mantra Surf Club and Surfing Swami Foundation under the Surfing Federation of India, with support from the Government of Karnataka and the Karnataka Surfing Association. The New Mangalore Port Authority served as title sponsor for the third consecutive year, with Cycle Pure Agarbatti and Deconstruct Skincare as Gold Sponsors. India's Asian Games surfing squad will be selected based on results from this championship, the inaugural Andaman Little Pro 2026, coaching camps, international performances, and overall rankings.