Ramesh Budihal Wins India’s First Medal at Asian Surfing Championships

Mamallapuram: Indian surfer Ramesh Budihal created history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian to win a medal at the Asian Surfing Championships (ASC). The 24-year-old clinched bronze with a score of 12.60 points in the four-man final, finishing behind South Korea’s Kanoa Heejae (15.17) and Indonesia’s Pajar Ariyana (14.57).

Ramesh began the final strongly, scoring 6.17 in his opening wave to move into second place. After a short lull, Ariyana surged ahead with an impressive 9.50. Determined to secure a podium finish, Ramesh produced a final wave score of 6.43 to hold on to third place.

This achievement also marked the first time Indian surfers reached the semifinal stage at the ASC. Kishore Kumar advanced to the last four, while D Srikanth narrowly missed the semifinal cut.

The event in Mamallapuram is being hailed as a turning point for Indian surfing, with the performances signalling the country’s growing presence in the sport at the continental level.