Budihal reaches historic Asian Surfing Championship final
Despite the challenging conditions, Budihal secured the second place in his semifinal heat with two crucial rides of 5.50 and 5.93 for a total of 11.43 points.
The Indian edged China's Shidong Wu (9.03) and compatriot Kishore Kumar (8.10) to enter the last four. Indonesia's Pajar Ariyana (13.83) claimed the top spot.
'I'm really grateful to be in the final. I wasn't expecting myself to get through,' Budihal said.
'My start wasn't good, and it was difficult to get the flow back. But I knew I needed to reset my mind in the last few minutes, pick the right wave, and go for it.'
Budihal's journey began in Kovalam, Kerala, where he joined the Sebastian Indian Social Project (SISP) and started surfing with the Kovalam Surf Club.
'I didn't get much support at first. My family was afraid of getting lost at sea and worried about my future. But when I started winning events, they began to support me.'
Budihal has steadily built his game over the last few years. He has consistently ranked in the top three of the National Surf Series, and in 2024, he finished the season as India's No. 1 male surfer.
'Budihal has always had the potential. He was one of the early sparks we had,' Arun Vasu, president of the Surfing Federation of India (SFI), told The Hindu.
Tough competition
Budihal now faces tough competition from Indonesian stars Mega Artana and Ariyana, and South Korea's Kanoa Heejae, all vying for the crown. He has already contributed valuable points for India to secure additional quotas for the 2026 Asian Games.
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