Surfing is one of the six sports that is making its Asian Games debut in Japan
New Delhi, | Sept: 21:Weeks shy of her 17th birthday, Kamali Moorthy aims to ride the waves at Aichi-Nagoya when surfing makes its debut at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Kamali is part of a four-member Indian surfing team that will start its campaign at the Pacific Long Beach (Tahara, Aichi) from September 25.
Just like the waves, the roller-coaster life of Kamali and her single mother Suganthi from a fishing village in the coastal town of Mahabalipuram, will be back in focus and India’s No. 1 in women’s shortboard surfing can’t wait for the huge break at the Asian Games.
“I have worked so hard to reach this stage, and now it’s time to believe in myself and enjoy every moment. No matter what happens, I’ll give everything I have and make our country proud,” said Kamali to SAI Media.
Surfing is already being supported by the Union sports ministry. The Surfing Federation of India receives government funding under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) scheme. Kamali received financial assistance towards foreign exposure for the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, Peru and for the 2025 Asian Pro-Am Surf Series in China.
Kamali is already a youth icon. When she was just seven years old, shooting for the 24-minute film started. The central theme was on the young skateboarder who was raised by a single mother fighting to break free from gender shackles. The documentary was directed by London-based New Zealander Sasha Rainbow. The film, which won great reviews, was nominated at the 2020 British Academy Film Awards in the short film category. It was also shortlisted for the Oscars.
Fighting the odds in life was nothing new for Kamali and her mother. The film beautifully captured a single mother’s fight for her daughter’s empowerment through skateboarding. The movie also reflected India’s societal structure and how youngsters were embracing change. Kamali did the sporting way making several sacrifices en route to the path towards excellence.
Kamali first got on a surfboard when she was just three years old, inspired by her uncle and surfing instructor, Santhosh Moorthy. What started as a childhood interest gradually turned into a serious sporting pursuit, and Kamali soon began making her mark in competitive surfing.
Her breakthrough came in 2023 when Kamali won both the Women’s Open and U-16 Girls titles at the Indian Open of Surfing. She continued her strong run by becoming the 2024 national surfing champion and successfully defending her Women’s Open and U-16 titles at the 2025 Indian Open of Surfing.
In 2026, Kamali added more success to her record, winning the Women’s Open at the Little Andaman Pro and securing gold in both the Women’s Open and U-18 Girls’ categories at the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing.
Kamali stepped onto the international stage at the 2024 Asian Surfing Championships in the Maldives, where her performance contributed to India securing its historic qualification for surfing at the Asian Games. She was selected alongside Sugar Shanthi Banarse of Goa as part of India’s first-ever Asian Games surfing team for Aichi-Nagoya 2026, marking a significant milestone in her young career.
“So excited for this journey. Through endless training, sacrifices, challenges, and countless hours of practice has made this Asian Games possible. Every drop of sweat and every difficult day was worth it. I’m truly happy, proud, and grateful for how far we’ve come. This is just the beginning, and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got,” said Kamali.
India may not be among the strongest Asian nations in surfing. Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines are among the leading countries but expect a fight from the Indians because the Asian Games will offer quota places for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
