Mangalore, March 8 : The India Paddle Festival, India's first-ever international stand-up paddling (SUP) championship got off to a colourful opening ceremony at the pristine Sasihithlu beach on Friday. The first day apart from the opening ceremony featured a junior U-16 race which saw local lads Akash and Ravi Pujar winning the top two spots while South Korea's Jihoo Hwang finished third.

The opening day featured the U-16 Junior category race that saw local lad Akash Pujar walk away with the winner's trophy with a remarkable time of 43:04 minutes. Following closely behind was another local contender and Akash's cousin, Raju Pujar, who secured the second position with a time of 47:24 minutes. Jihoo Hwang from South Korea secured the third position, completing the race in 52:52 minutes.

Speaking after winning the U-16 Junior category title, Akash said, 'I have dedicated the past six months to continuous training, while also managing the academic pressure of being in the 10th standard. Despite the challenges, of preparing for my boards as I am in class 10, I ensure I do not pause my training and I guess that is what paid off today.'

Akash will be also competing in the men's open category on Saturday and is looking forward to the competition field that has some of the top SUP athletes from across the world.

Jihoo Hwang of South Korea said, 'The conditions here in India are more challenging compared to those back at home, but I thoroughly enjoyed the race today. It's my first time in India, and I'm relishing the experience, thanks to the pleasant weather, good waves, and the kind and friendly people I've met here.'

The inaugural India Paddle Festival is being held at the Sasihithlu beach, Mangalore from March 8-10 with athletes from the USA, Thailand, Spain, South Korea and hosts India vying for the top honors across three categories.

World No.2 Fernando Perez and Esperanza Barreras in both men's and women's category along with Bianca Toncelli, the junior world SUP champion will be seen in action on Day 2 of the India Paddle Festival. The India Paddle Festival is presented by the Karnataka Government and hosted by Surfing Swami Foundation.

The Day 2 of the India Paddle Festival will commence with a yoga session, followed by the heats and finals of the technical races for both men and women open categories.

/IANS