Mangalore, May 21 : The Surfing Federation of India (SFI), the governing body for the sports of surfing and stand-up paddling in the country, announced the schedule for the fifth edition of the Indian Open Surfing (IOS). Recognised by the International Surfing Association, this premier surfing competition will be hosted by the Mantra Surf Club at the tranquil Sasihithlu Beach in Mangalore, Karnataka, from May 31 to June 2.

The three-day surfing competition will feature participation from all the top-ranked surfers in India. The Karnataka government has extended its support to the event for the fifth time in a row. The competition will include four categories: men's open, women's open, groms (U-16) boys, and groms (U-16) girls.

IOS will be the second stop of the national championship series of the 2024 calendar year, following the International Surfing Festival Kerala 2024, held in March at the beautiful cliff beach of Varkala.

The IOS will feature intense rivalry between surfers from the east and west coasts, as these championships carry important ranking points that will determine the surfers' standings at the end of the season.

'We are happy to extend our support to the organisers of the Indian Open of Surfing - Surfing Swami Foundation and Mantra Surf Club under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India. They are doing a fabulous job of promoting the lesser-explored coasts of our state and boosting our tourism economy', said Mullai Muhilan, deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.

"Hosting a national-level competition in such a beautiful and serene part of the state can attract more visitors from different parts of the country," he said.

Arun Vasu, president of the Surfing Federation of India, on the announcement said, 'Our goal is simple, we want to elevate India to the top in surfing. After a successful start to the National Series in Kerala, we are glad to continue the championships in Mangaluru before the championship tour moves to the East Coast'.

Ramesh Budihal, Harish M, Srikanth D, and Manikandan M will be the surfers to watch in the men's category, having performed exceptionally well in the last national championship recently held in Kerala. In the women's category, Kamali Moorthy, Srishthi Selvam, and Sandhya Arun are among the participants competing for the top honours. Teenage sensation Kishore Kumar will have all eyes on him, having stunned everyone with his recent performances.

Rammohan Paranjape, vice president SFI and Director of Mantra Surf Club, said, "We are hoping for a really good turnout of all top surfers in the country and a very close competitive battle between the best, the last two editions of IOS have produced the best action with close finishes at the end, let's hope for a solid swell and great weather."

In the first championship of the calendar year (International Surfing Festival, Kerala), Ramesh Budihal and Kamali P emerged victorious in the men's and women's Open categories, respectively while Kishore Kumar won the groms 16 and under boys with a high score of 14.73

/IANS