India to debut in surfing at Asian Games

KOHIMA, SEP 17 (NPN): India will make its Asian Games debut in surfing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan, fielding four athletes in the men’s and women’s shortboard events.
Kishore Kumar and Sivaraj Babu will compete in the men’s section, while Tamil Nadu’s Kamali Moorty and Goa’s Sugar Shanti Banarse will represent India in the women’s event. The surfing competition will be held at Pacific Long Beach from September 25.
India’s national team is headed by French coach Samai Reboul, appointed by the Surfing Federation of India in 2024. He has overseen national selection camps and preparations for the Games.
Reboul said the Asian Games would be an important test of India’s progress and provide greater recognition to surfing in the country. He identified the 2026 Games as a step towards the long-term goal of developing a sustainable system to help Indian surfers gain international experience and eventually qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
India had earlier secured a historic bronze at the Asian Surfing Championships in the Maldives under Reboul’s guidance.
He said India’s more than 7,000-km coastline offered significant potential for surfing, with favourable waves generally occurring between May and September. Organised surfing in India began taking shape in 2011, with the first national championship held in 2013.
Reboul said sustained investment, improved coaching and greater international exposure would be key to developing the sport, adding that India’s qualification for the Asian Games itself marked an important step.
Sanjay Selvamani is assisting Reboul as deputy coach. A pioneer of competitive surfing in India, Selvamani was part of the country’s first national team at the ISA World Surfing Games.