RAMANATHAPURAM: The second edition of the Palkbay SUP Challenge - National Stand Up Paddle Championship commenced at Pirappanvalasai Beach on Thursday. The championship organised under the aegis of the Surfing Federation of India and the Tamil Nadu Surfing Association will culminate on Friday.
This year, more than 80 athletes from across India are taking part in the national event. Representation is strong from the coastal states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Mumbai, Orissa, Kerala, Goa and Gujarat. As many as 18 athletes from Ramanathapuram, including medal winners from last year, are also in the fray.
The sporting events in the championship include the sprint race (200 metres), technical race (2 km) and distance races (12 km). "The sea was calm, but at the same time, the conditions were deceptive as there were gusts of wind blowing across. The winds were steady with a slight change in direction making the conditions challenging for sprint and technical races," said Nawaz Jabbar, Race Director of the Palkbay SUP Challenge.
Sekar Patchai and Monica Pugazharasu from Tamil Nadu successfully defended their titles in the technical race men's and women's categories respectively on Thursday. Sekar and Monica's efforts helped the host state sweep up all four titles in the offing on the day. Sekar completed the 2-km race in 13.22 minutes, while Manikandan M of Tamil Nadu finished second in 13.32 minutes. Santhosan S crossed the finish line in 14.07 minutes, helping the host state achieve a clean sweep in the event.
In the women's category, Monica Pugazharasu came first in 22.39 minutes, while Vijayalakshmi Irulappan of Tamil Nadu and Sinchana D Gowda of Karnataka bagged the second and third medals respectively. Race events such as distance race men, sprint mixed defence (open), sprint men (open), sprint women (open), sprint men, and sprint women, are scheduled for Friday.