FROM not qualifying for last year's Asian surfing meet to making history as the first Indian surfer to win a medal in an Asian meet, Ramesh Budihal has risen out of deep waters. On the coast, the Kerala-man has navigated the toughest of waves. It was a tougher challenge. He lost his father last year, in addition to the disappointment of qualification.
On Sunday, Ramesh clinched bronze with a 12.60-point performance in the open men's final of the Asian Surfing Championship in Mahabalipuram. "My goal was to win gold. But I'm still proud to take the bronze. I am happy with the support from the team," he told this daily, a day after his performance.
It took Ramesh three years to come to this stage and achieve this feat. "If we get more opportunities, we can put ourselves into higher performances and more medals," he added. In a way, this tournament was his last-chance saloon, and his give-it-all performance has earned him India's first medal in surfing at the continental event.
2024 was not the ideal year for the surfer from Kovalam, Kerala. In addition to missing out on qualifying for the Asian meet that year in Maldives, Ramesh lost his father, and encountered other personal issues. "I felt discouraged by all of this. Despite having good support then, I didn't have moral support. Then I reset my mind, moved on from it, and trained hard," he said.
Ramesh felt that training in Bali, Indonesia in April this year with high performance coaches helped him improve on his technique. He had to fund the trip, the coaching fees and the equipment out of his own pockets. But it was the sessions with Indian national team coach Samai Reboul that helped Ramesh mentally. "He helped the team improve their mindsets and our self belief," he said. Training for the last three years in the conditions of Mahabalipuram has also given him edge.
Growing up in Kovalam in Kerala with his mother, who sold handicraft items, Ramesh's tryst with surfing came when he studied at the Sebastian Indian Social Project (SISP), which was the educational wing of the Kovalam Surf Club, an NGO. It was Belgian tourist and teacher Jelle Rigole, who taught him surfing lessons and played an important role in shaping him as a surfer.
His family was scared when he started him surfing on the coast, initially. But after winning the Spice Coast Open in 2013, they were assured that their child would do well as a surfer. Twelve years later, Ramesh is now an Asian surfing medallist. "I spoke to my mother over the phone, she was thrilled!," he said.
His next objective is to prepare himself for the Asian Games, if given more support. Fine-tuning my skill for next year remains key. "It wasn't easy for me to come all the way because it was financially difficult. Athletes like us need to be supported more by the government. Only then we can improve our skills and get more exposure, which will help us win medals," he explained.
