Indian surfing looks to ride the crest of change

The Hindu

19 hours ago

Indian surfing has stopped waiting for the perfect wave and has started forming its own. Once a niche pastime known only in small coastal pockets, the sport now boasts Asian Games quotas, a historic international podium, and a team unafraid to paddle out against Asia's best.
The biggest breakthrough came early this month when Ramesh Budihal claimed a bronze at the Asian Surfing Championships (ASC) in Mahabalipuram — a result that signalled to the wider region that Indian surfers were here to compete.
This achievement built on the momentum gained at the 2024 edition in Maldives, when India secured its first-ever Asian Games berths in a sport making its Asiad debut, a few years after its inclusion in the Olympic programme.
The sport's debut at Tokyo 2020 lit a fire across Asia, with countries such as Japan and Indonesia ramping up their programmes, and India following suit.
'Since surfing was included in the Olympics, India started taking the sport seriously,' said Budihal after his historic outing. In Japan, the effect was just as striking. 'Having surfing in the Olympics in 2020 really brought that reach to the audience in so many countries,' said top Japanese surfer Kei Kobayashi. 'I didn't even know you could surf in India. It's so nice to see the surfing community develop here.'
But ambition alone could not get Indian surfers into the line-up at major events — it needed resources, structure, and a willingness to take a gamble. Without government backing and with scarce resources, Indian surfing was stuck paddling in the same place, waiting for a current to push it forward.
Taking the helm
The tides began to shift during the pandemic — a surge in interest not only boosted participation but also prompted a reset at the Surfing Federation of India (SFI).
The newly formed council, headed by president Arun Vasu, had clear intentions. 'India needed the exposure and the competition. We wanted to send an Indian team to the World Games, continental championships, and international events,' said Vasu, an avid surfer.
Scenes from the Asian Surfing Championships. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The teams relied on private support for years, hoping to put Indian surfing on the map and attract official backing. Training trips to world-class surf breaks in the Maldives, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka gave Indian surfers much-needed exposure to higher levels of competition and technique. Alongside these efforts, the Surf Turf programme run by the TT Group at Covelong Point, emerged as a crucial grassroots initiative, nurturing local talent and feeding them into the national team.
'Six athletes of the 12-member contingent are products of this project, which has been running for over four years,' remarked Vasu, the Chairman and MD of TT Group.
Turning point
The combination of international experience and homegrown development began to pay off quickly. Teams sent to events around the world left a mark, and India's campaign at the 2024 ASC — a recently designated qualifier for the Asian Games — signalled a shift.
SFI treasurer Nawaz Jabbar reflected on the achievement: 'The idea of actually being able to compete in the Asian Games itself was unbelievable. And then for us to be one of the countries to compete after winning the few available slots was a little bit of a pipe dream.'
According to Nawaz, who also serves as SFI's tournament director, the unprecedented outing propelled Indian surfing into the limelight. 'That was a historic moment and huge achievement, and a lot of eyes were on us after that. There was a lot of publicity that we received.'
That visibility translated into credibility. For the first time, Indian surfing was seen as a viable competitive sport — and it soon cleared the long-awaited path to gaining recognition.
The SFI received approval from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) earlier this year, a major milestone that unlocked government support and resources for the sport. This endorsement has also helped attract sponsors and integrate the sport firmly within the national sports ecosystem — 'It meant that surfing could finally stand on its own legs in India.'
New horizons
With one major hurdle out of the way, the focus now is on building a competitive pipeline, both for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and beyond. Well aware that the big stage is only a year away, the SFI has begun its mission early to prioritise selection, international training, and nurturing young surfers.
'Age is always a thing, something we have to be wary of. The main effort is really to get more kids involved. The team has to be larger,' said Vasu, referring to nurturing younger surfers, as done in countries like Japan and Indonesia.
'The Japanese team were saying that every year, they have 600 kids taking part in their youth programmes. For India, even finding five kids is a struggle. We need to learn from them, and these events will hopefully get us more participation.
'People will see that they can make a future, and that they can be champions. India is at a very good stage in surfing, and today Asia is watching us. We will be there in the bigger leagues soon,' said Vasu. Going forward, the Olympics remain a challenging but motivating goal. 'I think it's going to be tough getting into the Olympics in two years. But for the edition after that, we will definitely be ready.'
The ocean hasn't changed, but India's place in it has — and the next set of waves is already on the horizon.