Chennai, Aug 7 (PTI) The Covelong Classic, the final National Surfing Championship of the year, is set to kick off at Kovalam near here on Thursday, with over 75 surfers from across the country competing for top honours.
The event will happen across four categories — Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Junior Boys & U-16, and Junior Girls & U-16.
The 2024 season started with the International Surfing Festival Kerala Varkala, followed by the Indian Open of Surfing in Mangalore, and the third stop — Mahabs Point Break Challenge — happening earlier this month in Mahabalipuram.
Covelong Classic will be a three-day surfing carnival organised by the Tamil Nadu Surfing Association under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India, to be hosted by Surf Turf.
The competition has also received significant support from the Tamil Nadu Government and the Ministry of Youth Welfare and Sports Development.
Among the top surfers to participate will be Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D, Harish M and Ramesh Budihal in the Men’s Open categories.
Recently, Ajeesh, Harish and Srikanth were named in the Indian squad for the Asian Surfing Championship happening next week in Maldives. Additionally, Srikanth D will be looking to defend his title.
In the Women’s Open category, Kamali P (ranked first) has already secured the overall championship title, making her performance at the Covelong Classic irrelevant. However, she is anticipated to face stern competition from fellow surfers Sandhya Arun (ranked second), Shrishti Selvam (ranked third), and Sugar Shanti Banarse (ranked fourth).
Kamali and Sugar have also been selected for the Indian squad competing in the Asian Surfing Championship, representing the Women’s Open and Junior U-18 categories, respectively.
Local surfers Tayin Arun and Kishore Kumar will grab eyeballs, thanks to their recent performances and national rankings in the Junior Boys & U-16 category.
Additionally, fellow local surfer Harish P, having gained recognition for his impressive surfing skills, will aim to defend his Covelong Classic championship title with determination.
In the Junior Girls & U-16 category, defending champion Kamali P will look to secure a double victory, as she is a strong contender for both the Women’s Open and Junior Girls & U-16 titles at the Covelong Classic.
Meanwhile, Dhamayanthi Sriram (ranked second) and Saanvi Hegde (ranked third) will be putting forth their best efforts to claim the title.
Surfing Federation of India’s president, Arun Vasu said, “As the surfing calendar culminates with the year’s final national championship, the Covelong Classic, the best surfers are set to compete in the Asian Surfing Championship. I would like to extend my best wishes to all the surfers participating in this prestigious national championship.” Apart from the medals and trophies, victors in each category will receive cash rewards, with the overall competition champion being awarded a Jawa Yezdi motorbike.
Source: PTI News
