Onlookers watch open-mouthed as an athlete, with the Japanese flag emblazoned on his wetsuit balances deftly on one leg, and juggles three neon balls in the air. This is just the beginning of his warm up. Athletes from South Korea and India are not too far away, calmly working on their own warm-up routines before picking up their surfboards.
At Mamallapuram, where the 4th ASF Asian Surfing Championships 2025 has kicked off, there are laser-focussed athletes from 19 Asian countries including India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Maldives, Bangladesh and the Philippines ready to take on the waters. Team India is ready too, with eight of its 12 athletes from Tamil Nadu. The championships will take place till August 12.
