A total of six quarter finals and six semifinals were contested on Saturday across five categories.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The second day of the seventh NMPA Indian Open of Surfing – 2026, a significant event in the selection of the Indian team for the 2026 Asian Games, greeted competitors with cool breezes and clear, sunny skies. A total of six quarter finals and six semifinals were contested on Saturday across five categories.The penultimate day of the national championship witnessed one of its most significant contests as the Men’s Open quarter finals delivered intense action on the waves. Kerala’s Ramesh Budihal topped the standings with an impressive score of 14.83, while Srikanth D. followed closely with 13.00. Teenage sensation Kishore Kumar (11.80), Ajeesh Ali (9.93), Sanjay Selvamani (9.57), and Sivaraj Babu (8.76) also secured their places in the semifinals after strong performances across the heats.The day resumed with the action in the Men’s Open category, which saw 24 surfers compete across six heats of the second round for quarter-final berths. Kishore Kumar topped the qualifiers with a score of 14.17, followed by Ajeesh Ali (13.33) and Ramesh Budihal (13.00). Also advancing were Sanjay Selvamani (11.27), Srikanth D. (11.00), Sivaraj Babu (10.23), Tayin Arun (9.80), Naveenkumar R. (8.10), Harish M. (7.83), Som Sethi (7.77), Ruban V. (7.57), and Sanjaikumar S. (7.20), showcasing skilful rides, technical manoeuvres, and confident wave selection in challenging conditions.The second category in action was the Surfing Juniors 18 and Under Male, where 12 surfers competed across three quarter-final heats for a place in the semifinals scheduled for the final day of competition. The young surfers put on an impressive display, with Harish P. (13.60), Tayin Arun (12.67), Som Sethi (12.00), and Yogesh A. (11.34) emerging as the top performers to secure semifinal berths. They will be joined by Prahlad Sriram (9.40) and Pradeep Pujar (6.56), who also advanced after strong performances in their respective heats.The Surfing Juniors 18 and Under Female semifinals saw Kamali Moorthy emerge as the standout performer, posting an impressive score of 12.44, comfortably securing her place in the final. Joining her in Sunday’s title-deciding contest are Aadya Singh (7.50), Saanvi Hegde (5.30), and Dhamayanthi Sriram (4.27), who also advanced with solid performances in the semifinals.
