THULUSDHOO (MALDIVES), Aug 24: The Indian surfing team has secured its first-ever quota for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan with a spot each for men and women.
Participating in the Asian Surfing Championships here, the quota was awarded to India based on the total ranking points accumulated by its surfers in the event.
The final call on which player will make it to the Games in both categories would be taken later by the Surfing Federation of India.
While Kishore Kumar missed out narrowly in stiff competition on Saturday after making it to the semi-finals of the U-18 Boys category, his stunning performance throughout the competition — finishing first in Round 1, Round 3, and the quarter-finals — earned India the Asian Games quota.
Kishore finished third in Heat 2 of the semi-final with a score of 8.26, behind China’s Chengzheng Wang, who scored 10.00 to take second place, whereas Taro Takai of Japan claimed the first sport with a score of 14.50.
The Asian Surfing Championships, a qualifier for the Asian Games, had eight Indian surfers compete in four categories.
Meanwhile, Harish Muthu also left his mark by becoming the first Indian to qualify for the Asian Surfing Championships quarter-finals before falling short after a rigid contest.
“It’s truly heartening to witness this historic day when Indian surfing has secured quotas for the upcoming Asian Games. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and determination of our surfers, coaches, and the federation over the years,” said Surfing Federation of India President Arun Vasu.
“I am confident that we will also see our surfers competing in the Olympics in the future. While it would have been the icing on the cake if Kishore had made it to the finals today, we are still incredibly proud of him, considering his age, talent, and unwavering determination.”
As for the women, Kamali Moorthy and Sugar Banarse were the ones who had competed in this Asian Surfing Championships, only to bow out in the opening round. (PTI)
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