Mangaluru gears up to welcome the second Indian Open of Surfing
MANGALURU, also known as the ‘Banking City’ of India, is all set to welcome the second edition of the Indian Open of Surfing in the last week of May this year. India’s premier surfing competition- The Indian Open of Surfing will be hosted at the Sasihithlu beach, Mangaluru from May 26- 28, 2017.
The competition, which expects to see over 120 national and international participants, is a part of the ‘Karnataka Surfing Festival’. The championship is recognised by the International Surfing Association and Surfing Federation of India and is organized by Dakshina Kannada district administration in association with Karnataka Tourism, Kanara Surfing and Water Sports Promotion Council in partnership with the country’s oldest surf club, Mantra Surf Club.
The competition after a hugely successful first edition, has now opened the registrations for the second edition for surfers across nine categories. The number of participants is expected to cross 120 this year, especially now that the sport is part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Mr. Ram Mohan Paranjpe, Vice President, Surfing Federation of India, said,
“It’s a proud moment for us to host the second edition of the Indian Open of Surfing this year. The sport is still nascent and the kind of success we received in the first edition last year only made us confident of the popularity of the sport across the coastal belt of the country. What’s more interesting is that now this love for water sports is not just limited to the coastal belts but it has started penetrating to cities inside the country as well. I would like to thank Karnataka Tourism for its continued support and actively working towards promoting coastal and adventure tourism through the sport through this festival.”
The premier surfing competition will play host to top surfers from Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Mumbai and Lakshadweep along with international surfers from Australia, United States of America and France. Top names like Ishita Malviya (India’s first ever female surfer), Sinchana Gowda & Aneesha Nayak (Top female surfers in India), Dharini Selvakumar, Manikandan and Sekar Pitchai (Top male surfers in India) along with Tanvi Jagadish (Top ranked Stand Up Paddler in India) will be seen riding the waves for the top slot in their respective categories.
The competition will see both men and women vie for the top spot under nine categories that are as follows:
Surfing: Novice- Indians Under 14(Never surfed in a surfing competition before or Surfed for 12 months or less) | Indian Groms- Under 16 | Indian Juniors (17 to 22) | Indian Seniors (22 to 30) | Indian Master (Above 30) | Women of all age | Open category - Indians & Foreigners | Stand Up Paddling: Men & Women
The second edition of the ‘Indian Open of Surfing’ is open to public and is an effort by Karnataka Tourism to promote the state as an international surfing & water sports destination. Celebrities will be invited for the closing ceremony. The Government of Karnataka will be promoting the event nationwide with the intention of showcasing Mangalore as the premiere surfing destination in the country. The event will also include some very interesting cultural and musical performances from local as well as national bands. A food festival along with activities like beach volleyball, Slack lining, skate boarding and mixed martial arts demo would be the added attractions for both the surfers as well as visitors at the Sasihithlu beach.
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