Surfers ride the challenge in action-packed Day 2 contests

Mangaluru: The second day of the seventh NMPA Indian Open of Surfing 2026 greeted competitors with cool breezes and clear, sunny skies. A total of six quarterfinals and six semifinals were contested on Saturday across five different categories.

The men’s open quarterfinals delivered intense action on the waves. Kerala’s Ramesh Budihal topped the standings with an impressive score of 14.8, while Srikanth D followed closely with 13. Teenage sensation Kishore Kumar (11.8), Ajeesh Ali (9.9), Sanjay Selvamani (9.5) and Sivaraj Babu (8.7) 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 quarterfinal berths. Kishore Kumar topped the qualifiers with a score of 14.1, followed by Ajeesh Ali (13.3) and Ramesh Budihal (13). Also advancing were Sanjay Selvamani (11.2), Srikanth D (11), Sivaraj Babu (10.2), Tayin Arun (9.8), Naveenkumar R (8.1), Harish M (7.8), Som Sethi (7.7), Ruban V (7.5) and Sanjaikumar S (7.2), showcasing skilful rides, technical manoeuvres and confident wave selection in challenging conditions.

In the juniors 18 & under male category, 12 surfers competed across three quarterfinal 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 (13.6), Tayin Arun (12.6), Som Sethi (12) and Yogesh A (11.3) emerging as the top performers to secure semifinal berths. They will be joined by Prahlad Sriram (9.4) and Pradeep Pujar (6.5), who also advanced after strong performances in their respective heats.

Overnight rains made the conditions more unpredictable, making wave selection and positioning crucial. With the Asian Games venue also being a beach break, this event is offering valuable insights ahead of Team India selection, said Nawaz Jabbar, competition director, NMPA IOS 2026.

The juniors 18 & under female semifinals saw Kamali Moorthy emerge as the standout performer, posting an impressive score of 12.4 to comfortably secure her place in the final. Joining her in Sunday’s title-deciding contest are Aadya Singh (7.5), Saanvi Hegde (5.3) and Dhamayanthi Sriram (4.2), who also advanced with solid performances in the semifinals.

The day also featured the semifinals of the surfing juniors U-14 boys and girls categories, popularly known as the Groms division. In the boys’ category, Harish P led the qualifiers with an impressive score of 14.4, followed by Sheik Davudh S (13), Yogesh A (9.4) and Prahlad Sriram (7.2), all of whom advanced to the final. In the girls’ division, Dhamayanthi Sriram (9.5) and Sanvita Kundar (5.1) secured the top two spots, while Arabolu Nethra (1) and Gauri Srimushnam (0.5) also booked their places in the final.