Asian Surfing Championships: Ramesh Budihal rides the wave to get India bronze

CHENNAI: Indian surfers are steadily making their mark on the continental stage. On Sunday, Ramesh Budihal became the first Indian to win a medal at the Asian Surfing Championships (ASC), clinching bronze in Mamallapuram. Ramesh registered 12.60 points to finish third behind Kanoa Heejae (15.17) of South Korea and Indonesia’s Pajar Ariyana (14.57).Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In the four-man final, the 24-year-old Ramesh started well with a score of 6.17 and was in second place after everyone completed their first waves. Post a brief lull, Ariyana delivered a blistering show, mastering multiple cutbacks and recording 9.50 to move into second place. To stay on the podium, Ramesh had to finish strongly, which he did by securing 6.43.I wanted to stay calm, and I did not take too much pressure. But I got caught in a bit of a trap. Yesterday (Saturday), we had some good waves, but today (Sunday), the conditions were just half as good, and the waves were inconsistent. I was waiting patiently to catch a good wave during the middle phase, but the ocean had other ideas. It was just hard luck, but still, I finished well,” Ramesh told TOI.For Ramesh, putting on a good show at the ASC was important, as he rarely gets opportunities to compete in big events. “We need more opportunities to participate in events like these; it should not be one-off. We need to learn how to handle pressure and succeed. It would be great if we could get support (sponsorships) to compete regularly.”The youngster also acknowledged the work coach Samai Reboul has done to bring India to this level. Samai has been with the Indian team for the past two years, but he has seen the Indian surfing scene for close to 30 years. “It has been crazy. I went from knowing just a couple of people to seeing the surf scene start booming around 2010, with surf schools coming up, the Surfing Federation of India being set up. It has been growing ever since.”While Ramesh won bronze, Kishore Kumar reached the semifinals, and D Srikanth narrowly missed out on a spot in the last-four stage in the open section. This was the first time Indian surfers had reached the semifinal stage. “We had others going deep in the event and that was huge. It is good for the sport in India, and I think it is going to help a lot. The other coaches who have seen the Indian team elsewhere, are quite impressed with the level, and it is good for the upcoming generations as it is setting a precedent.”