The World’s FIRST of its Kind Stand-Up Paddle Championship Kicks Off at Sasihithlu Beach. The India Paddle Festival Begins With Local lad Akash Pujar Winning the U-16 Junior category Race; Local lads Akash and Ravi Pujar won the top two positions in the U-16 Junior category race on Day 1; South Korea’s Jihoo Hwang finished third
Mangaluru: The India Paddle Festival, India’s first-ever international stand-up paddling (SUP) championship, got off to a colourful opening ceremony at the pristine Sasihithlu beach, Mangaluru/DK. The opening day apart from the opening ceremony featured a Junior U16 race which saw local lads Akash and Ravi Pujar winning the top two spots while South Korea’s Jihoo Hwang finished third. The three-day SUP event which will feature over 40 top SUP athletes from over 13 countries was officially announced in a colourful opening ceremony by UT Khader, Hon. Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Other dignitaries present in the competition included Umanatha Kotian, MLA, Moodabidri; Manjunath Bhandary, MLC, Karnataka Legislative Council; Prakash Shetty, Chairman, MRG Group; Manikya, Deputy Director, Dakshina Kannada Tourism Department; Abhayachandra Jain, Former Minister, Govt. of Karnataka and Vasanth Bernhard, Former President, MUDA. Bollywood celebrities Suniel Shetty, Ms Shilpa Shetty & Ms Pooja Hegde added weight to the Festival while Indian cricketer KL Rahul and Badminton ace Chirag Shetty extended support as Goodwill Ambassadors for the event. They have come on board as the Ambassadors and Festival Hyper Booster for the India Paddle Festival. The event has also received strong support from the country’s top athletes like Indian cricketer *KL Rahul* and reigning world no.1 men’s doubles shuttler *Chirag Shetty*.
The inaugural India Paddle Festival is being held at the Sasihithlu beach, Mangaluru from 8-10 March 2024 with athletes from the USA, Thailand, Spain, and South Korea and hosts India vying for the top honours across three categories. World no. 2 Fernando Perez and Esperanza Barreras in both men’s and women’s categories along with Bianca Toncelli, the junior world SUP champion, will be seen in action on Day 2 of the India Paddle Festival. The India Paddle Festival is presented by the Karnataka Government and hosted by Surfing Swami Foundation.
The opening day featured the U-16 Junior category race that saw local lad Akash Pujar walk away with the winner’s trophy with a remarkable time of 43:04 minutes. Following closely behind was another local contender and Akash’s cousin, Raju Pujar, who secured the second position with a time of 47:24 minutes. Jihoo Hwang from South Korea secured the third position, completing the race in 52:52 minutes. Speaking after winning the U-16 Junior category title, Akash said,* “I have dedicated the past six months to continuous training, while also managing the academic pressure of being in the 10th standard. Despite the challenges of preparing for my boards as I am in class 10, I ensure I do not pause my training and I guess that is what paid off today.”
Akash who will be also competing in the Men’s Open category on 9th March 2024 and is looking forward to the competition field that has some of the top SUP athletes from across the world. Jihoo Hwang of South Korea said,* “The conditions here in India are more challenging compared to those back at home, but I thoroughly enjoyed the race today. It’s my first time in India, and I’m relishing the experience, thanks to the pleasant weather, good waves, and the kind and friendly people I’ve met here.”
The Day 2 of the India Paddle Festival will commence with a yoga session, followed by the heats and finals of the technical races for both men and women open categories. The crowd will be entertained with the screening of It Is This, In Search of the Storm and Powerstar, which is part of the adventure film festival that will be conducted on all three days of the event. The main attraction of the India Paddle Festival, the sprint races, will be held on the final day along with the finals of the community race.
The Association of PaddleSurf Professionals World Tour (APP) announced its entry in India with the country’s first-ever International Stand-Up Paddling championship last month. The India Paddle Festival is the first step in an exciting new development journey for the organization as a significant growth of the sport in the region over the coming years. Presented by Karnataka Tourism, and organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation, the India Paddle Festival will welcome a selection of top athletes from the APP World Tour, as well as other aspiring professionals from the region.
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