India bags two more quotas for surfing at Asian Games
The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 4th ASF Asian Surfing Championships, which concluded on Tuesday in Mahabalipuram
Surfers with Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, Arun Vasu, president of Surfing Federation of India, and other officials
CHENNAI: Ramesh Budihal’s bronze medal, along with some outstanding performances from the Indian surfing team — including three surfers who qualified for the quarter-finals, has ensured the nation secured two additional quotas for next year’s 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 4th ASF Asian Surfing Championships, which concluded on Tuesday in Mahabalipuram. The two quotas secured during the competition add to the two that India had already earned last year in the Asian Championships in Maldives.
“Five years ago, India was absent from the Asian surfing rankings. Today, we are competing shoulder to shoulder with the best in the continent. Our journey continues with a clear goal: to make a strong mark at the Asian Games in Japan,” said Arun Vasu, president of the Surfing Association of India, at the ceremony.
India now holds two quotas each in the men’s and women’s categories for the Asian Games, where surfing will make its debut next year.
The Asian Surfing Federation (ASF) had allocated a total of 48 quotas overall: 24 for men and 24 for women, across 17 countries. After the final day’s action, Indonesia topped the overall men’s rankings with 1,980 points, followed by South Korea with 1,800 and India third on 1,785. The Philippines and China completed the top five.
In the women’s standings, Japan led with 1,860 points, ahead of Indonesia on 1,670 and Thailand on 1,608, while India finished eighth with 1,200 points.
The four finalists in both the men’s and women’s open categories also earned a special ticket to the Surf City ALAS Global Finals, to be held at Punta Mango Beach from November 17 to 23.
