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Sekar Patchai continued his dominance in Indian stand-up paddling as he clinched the Men's Technical SUP title, while Arthi emerged victorious in the Women's category on Day 2 of the inaugural Little Andaman Pro 2026, being held for the first time in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The national surfing and stand-up paddling championship is being organised by the Surfing Federation of India (SFI) and is fully sponsored by Andaman & Nicobar Tourism, as per a press release from SFI. Regarded as one of the best stand-up paddlers in the country, Sekar Patchai, a multiple-time national champion, finished the 2km technical race with the fastest timing of 10:05.02 to secure the gold medal. Rajesh D claimed the silver medal with a timing of 10:26.34, while Dinesh Selvamani finished third with a time of 10:37.33 to take home the bronze. In the Women's Technical SUP category, Arthi delivered a strong performance to clinch the top spot with a time of 13:53.20. Vijayalakshmi Irulappan followed closely to secure the silver medal with a time of 14:06.01, while Nishi finished third with a time of 20:58.96. The penultimate day also witnessed intense surfing action in the Men's Open category, beginning with the repechage (Round 2), where 18 surfers competed across six heats for a place in Round 3. The top two surfers from each heat advanced to the next stage, joining those who had already qualified on Day 1. Round 3 saw high-quality performances as some of the country's top surfers battled for a place in the knockout stages. Kishore Kumar (9.27) and Logesh S (5.84) advanced from Heat 1, while Harish M (9.17) and Ajeesh Ali (8.83) progressed from Heat 2. In Heat 3, Sanjay Selvamani (13.50) and Praveen Ratod (8.47) secured qualification, followed by Ramesh Budhial (16.00) and Jeevan S (4.17) from Heat 4. Srikanth D (11.67) and Som Sethi (9.50) moved ahead from Heat 5, while Sanjaikumar S (10.90) and Nithish Varun T (9.16) advanced from Heat 6. Akilan S (9.00) and Ruban V (7.03) qualified from Heat 7, and Sivaraj Babu (8.24), along with Sheik Davudh S (7.07) progressed from Heat 8 to book their spots in the knockout stage scheduled for the final day. In the Women's Open category quarterfinals, Sugar Shanti Banarse (12.84), Kamali Moorthy (10.34), Shrishti Selvam (7.47), Riva Aurora (5.43), Devi Ramanathan (5.07), and Sandhya Arun (4.20) emerged as the top performers, advancing to the semi-finals to be held tomorrow. "The conditions at Butler Bay have been excellent, with consistent waves and clean right-handers allowing uninterrupted competition. The reef break has provided a highly technical setup, while the strong support from the Andaman & Nicobar Tourism Department and other stakeholders has been instrumental in the smooth conduct of the championship", said Jehan Driver, Secretary General, Surfing Federation of India. With titles on the line and top surfers in contention, the final day promises high-intensity action as the inaugural Little Andaman Pro 2026 heads towards an exciting finish at Butler Bay. (ANI)
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