Covelong Classic: T.N surfers stamp authority as Ramesh Budhial keeps Karnataka’s hopes alive
Kovalam (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu surfers continued with their dominance on Day Two of the Covelong Classic 2024 – the final leg of the national surfing championship of the Surfing Federation of India. The three-day surfing championship, on its second day, saw top surfers from across the country vie for a spot in the semifinals scheduled for the final day on Saturday.
Tamil Nadu’s Harish M with his skilled maneuvers and acrobatic flair on the waves impressed the judges in Round Two early in the morning scoring the highest score of the day at 12.20 points.
The quarterfinals of the Men’s Open Category saw a total of 16 surfers advance to the semifinals with Tamil Nadu’s Sivaraj Babu topping the charts with a total of 11.66 points. Defending National Champion and the winner of Covelong Classic 2023 Srikanth D. finished right behind the leader at 11.50 points while Ramesh Budhial with a score of 8.40 is the lone hope for Karnataka at the Covelong Classic 2024.
The three-day Covelong Classic 2024 is organized by the Tamil Nadu Surfing Association under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India and is hosted by Surf Turf. The event has found support from the Tamil Nadu Government and the Ministry of Youth Welfare and Sports Development. The Tamil Nadu Surfing Association is serving as the title sponsor.
The action on the second day began early, kicking off with a fierce battle for a quarterfinal slot in Round 2 of the Men’s Open category.
Tamil Nadu’s Harish M. was the star of the day, capturing everyone’s attention with his skillful maneuvers and acrobatic flair on the waves. His stellar performance earned him a score of 12.20, the highest of the day. Fellow Tamil Nadu surfer Sivaraj Babu also packed an impressive performance scoring a total of 11.17 points.
Other notable surfers who advanced to the quarterfinals included Kishore Kumar (11.0), Sanjay Selvamani (10.50), Srikanth D (10.27), Sanjaikumar S (8.67), Ajeesh Ali (8.50), Ramesh Budhial (8.40), Nithishvarun T (8.30), Tayin Arun (8.13), Surya P (7.77), Raghul P (7.70), Ruban V (7.67), Ragul Govind (7.20), and Manivannan T (6.03).
The day continued with the quarterfinals of the Men’s Open category, which was almost an all-Tamil Nadu affair, as 15 out of the 16 surfers were from the host state. Sivaraj Babu and Srikanth D delivered outstanding performances, earning scores of 11.66 and 11.50, respectively. Joining them in the semi-finals are Ajeesh Ali (9.33), Sanjaikumar S (8.84), Ramesh Budhial (8.13), Kishore Kumar (7.83), Akilan S (7.77), and Harish M (7.04).
Speaking after earning the highest scores of the day, Harish M. said, “I’m thrilled to have earned the highest score of the day despite the tough and challenging conditions. The weak tides caused delays, but I’m glad to have secured my spot in the semi-finals. I’m aiming to keep up my performance tomorrow, even though the pressure is on with the strong competition I’ll be facing”.
The last day of the Covelong Classic will be packed with action, featuring the semifinals and finals in the Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Groms 16 & Under Boys, and Groms 16 & Under Girls categories.