Sekar Patchai reinforced his position as one of India's leading stand-up paddlers by winning the Men's Technical SUP title at the inaugural Little Andaman Pro 2026. Arthi secured victory in the women's category on the competition's second day in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The event, the national surfing and stand-up paddling championship, is organised by the Surfing Federation of India (SFI) and fully sponsored by Andaman and Nicobar Tourism, according to a press release from SFI.
Sekar Patchai, a multiple-time national champion, completed the 2km technical race in 10:05.02 to earn the gold medal. Rajesh D took silver with a timing of 10:26.34, and Dinesh Selvamani finished in third place at 10:37.33, winning the bronze.
In the Women's Technical SUP category, Arthi recorded a time of 13:53.20 to claim first place. Vijayalakshmi Irulappan followed closely to win silver with 14:06.01, while Nishi secured the bronze with a time of 20:58.96.
The penultimate day also featured intense surfing competition in the Men's Open category, beginning with the repechage (Round 2). Eighteen surfers competed across six heats, with the top two from each heat advancing to Round 3 alongside those who had already qualified on Day 1.
Round 3 showcased high-quality performances from some of the country's best surfers battling for places in the knockout stages. The following surfers advanced from their heats: Kishore Kumar (9.27) and Logesh S (5.84) from Heat 1; Harish M (9.17) and Ajeesh Ali (8.83) from Heat 2; Sanjay Selvamani (13.50) and Praveen Ratod (8.47) from Heat 3; Ramesh Budhial (16.00) and Jeevan S (4.17) from Heat 4; Srikanth D (11.67) and Som Sethi (9.50) from Heat 5; Sanjaikumar S (10.90) and Nithish Varun T (9.16) from Heat 6; Akilan S (9.00) and Ruban V (7.03) from Heat 7; and Sivaraj Babu (8.24) with Sheik Davudh S (7.07) from Heat 8.
These surfers secured their places 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) advanced to the semi-finals to be held the following day.
Jehan Driver, Secretary General of the Surfing Federation of India, stated: "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."
With titles at stake and top surfers competing, the final day of the inaugural Little Andaman Pro 2026 promises intense action as the event concludes at Butler Bay.