It was a historic event at the Asian Surfing Championships 2024 when a young and talented Tamil Nadu-born Harish Muthu became the first Indian to make a podium finish at this tournament. The showpiece event which was staged in Bali Indonesia this year was highly competitive with beautiful contenders from all the Asian countries, but it was Muthu who shined.
Beginning of Harish Muthu
Harish Muthu has had quite a remarkable rise to the position of the company’s director. He is from the Kovalam a coastal town of Tamil Nadu and started surfing at an early age; he practices mostly on the harsh rocks and waves of the Arabian Sea. Although there were no proper basics of surfing present in India and there was no encouragement for surfing there, Muthu’s passion to take the sport to a new level drove him plenty. Over the years worked with renowned international fitness trainers, competed in different national and international championships and slowly carved out a niche for himself in the surfing world.
The Championship: A Historic Win
As mentioned earlier, the ASF has been hosting several events that bring surfers from all around Asia; only the best and smart and strategy-driven sportsmen would stand a chance. In this year’s event, the conditions were even trickier out of control weather and unexpected waves that put the participants to the extreme test.
Muthu competed against professionally trained surfers from countries like Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines wherein he was probably the new kid on the block. Nevertheless, owing to his audacity, as well as his knowledge of the waves, he rose to prominence very soon. During the last round, Muthu performed a combination of sharp moves such as the aerials and cutbacks much to the satisfaction of the judges and the crowd.
His performance was enough to place him on the podium and he became the first Indian surfer in the history of ASC to do so. Thus, Muthu’s victory is not only Muthu’s triumph but the triumph of Indian surfing which has been fighting for the right to compete internationally for a long time.
Impact on Indian Surfing
It therefore bears to expect that Muthu’s success at the Asian Surfing Championships is likely to trigger other sporting achievements in India. Though now comparatively lesser known in the country, it has been steeply rising as a sport among Gulf of Mexico coasts. Muthu’s victory could be the harbinger that is needed to make surfing develop into the new youth craze, subsequent investment to the extended development of surfing training facilities and youth training programs.
The Indian government, besides other sports authorities, has already started to look at the prospects of surfing as a professional code. This could make it possible for more support to be offered to any other would-be Surfers such as sponsorships, and better training grounds as well as enabling the participants to compete in other international competitions.
Looking Ahead
As Harish Muthu comes back home as a national hero the next generation of Indian surfing has never looked brighter. Years ago, he dreamt of surfing from his hometown a small coastal town in Tamil Nadu India, to the podium of the Asian Surfing Championship, it gives inspiration of what Indian athletes are capable of: if they have passion, perseverance, and opportunities.
In a recent interview, Muthu has said he wants to take the sport further and hopes to compete for India at the Olympics. Victory in the Asian Surfing Championships 2024 qualifies him as the continent’s champion and the start of what should be an incredibly exciting career for young Indian Sports icon.
