Karnataka: The second day of the fifth edition of the Indian Open of Surfing began with a beautiful morning and enticing waves at the Sasihithlu beach here.
The three-day premier surfing competition of India is the official national championship of the Surfing Federation of India - the governing body for the sport of surfing and stand-up paddling.
Tamil Nadu surfers extended their dominance on Day 2 by securing all four final spots in the Men's Open category, and two spots in the Women's Open category.
Day 2 started with the quarterfinals of the Men's Open surf category, where Sivaraj Babu and the Tamil Nadu surfers continued their dominance from the previous day, with Sivaraj gathering the highest points (15.17) of the day.
The other surfers in this category who joined Sivaraj in the semifinals were Sanjaikumar S (12.83), Sanjay Selvamani (11.63), Ajeesh Ali (11.43), Srikanth D (10.33), Manivanna T (9.40), Harish M (9.23), and Ruban V (7.93).
The day's proceedings continued with the Surfing Groms 16 and Under Boys quarterfinals, where Harish P, currently ranked 5th in India, scored the highest in the category with 10.17.
The competition was intense between East and West coast surfers, with the Pujar brothers keeping Karnataka's hopes alive.
Other top scorers who advanced to the semifinals included Tayin Arun (7.60), Prahlad Sriram (7.17), Raju Pujar (7.33), Pradeep Pujar (6.47), Akash Pujar (5.80), Yogesh A (4.40), and Som Sethi (4.40). The semifinals and finals of this category will take place tomorrow.
Speaking post booking his slot in the finals, Sanjaikumar said,"Today's surfing conditions were good, with a bit of wind adding to the challenge. We had strong competition and felt some pressure. For the final tomorrow, I aim to play my natural game and hope to win the title".
The three-day surfing extravaganza is organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation and hosted by Mantra Surf Club, under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India.
