Tahara, September 29 (Daily Kiran) : India wrapped up its first surfing campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in Tahara on September 29, without winning any medals. The last Indian surfer in the competition, Kishore Kumar Anbarsu, was eliminated in the men’s shortboard quarter-finals.
Surfing made its debut at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, and India fielded a four-member team for both men’s and women’s shortboard events at Pacific Long Beach in Tahara.
Eighteen-year-old Kishore’s journey ended in the quarter-finals after he lost to the Philippines’ Toby Espejon with a score of 8.53 to 5.37. Toby scored 5.50 and 3.03 on his two waves, while Kishore managed only 3.00 and 2.37.
In surfing, a competitor’s score is the total of their best two waves, each rated out of 10.00, allowing a maximum score of 20.00. Kishore had previously secured his quarter-final spot by defeating China’s Ma Wensong 9.76 to 8.80 in the third round and topped his opening round heat with a score of 9.33 points.
India’s other male shortboard entrant, Shivraj Babu, advanced to the third round after defeating Iran’s Davood Khadir 8.96 to 3.60. However, his campaign ended there when he lost to the Philippines’ Jayuard Elsiso with a score of 11.50 to 7.83.
In the women’s shortboard event, both Kamali Prakash and Sugar Shanti Gayen were eliminated in the third round. Kamali lost to Indonesia’s Jasmine Michelle Studer 1.64 to 5.93, while Sugar was defeated by Japan’s Minami Nonaka, who scored 14.60 against her 5.17.
India secured quotas for both men’s and women’s categories for the Asian Games through the 2024 Asian Surfing Championship held in the Maldives, where they also won their first team silver medal in the continental championship.
Surfing made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games and will return at Paris 2024, as well as feature in the LA 2028 Olympics, which will include men’s and women’s shortboard events. However, India has yet to achieve representation in surfing at the Olympics.
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