Mangaluru, May 27: Tourism Minister R.V. Deshpande on Friday inaugurated the three-day Indian Open of Surfing on Sasihitlu Beach on the outskirts of the city.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Deshpande said that the district has so far not submitted proposals for the development of Someshwara, Ullal, Surathkal, Talapady and Sultan Battery beaches for which Rs. 13.72 crore has been earmarked. There is a plan to develop 23 beaches in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, using funds granted by the Union Government.
“Work has already begun in Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts. Dakshina Kannada has so far not placed any such proposal,” he said.
Mr. Deshpande asked district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai to send the proposals at the earliest. When Mr. Ibrahim told Mr. Deshpande that the proposals were sent in January, Mr. Deshpande said, “I reviewed the progress made yesterday. I did not find anything related to Dakshina Kannada.”
Mr. Deshpande asked Mr. Ibrahim to ensure that the proposals are filed before the Tourism Department at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Mr. Deshpande told reporters that he has been pursing with the Ministry of Environment of Forests the long-pending demand of relaxing Coastal Regulatory Zone in the State that will help in tourism development. “Recently, I met (Union Minister) Prakash Javadekar. He told me that the draft for relaxing CRZ is pending approval of the Prime Minister,” he said.
Mr. Deshpande said that the Tourism Department was working on having an annual calendar of events happening in the State. Events such as Beach Utsav, Karavali Utsav, surfing festival and scuba diving competition should be announced a year early. This will help people in planning their tours and attend those events.
Three day event
The three day tournament will feature the cream of Indian as well as International Surfers with prizemoney of Rs. 6 lakh on offer, and is expected to attract over 80 surfers. The categories for the event are U16, junior boys (17-22 year olds), senior men (22-28 year olds), masters men (28 years old and above). There is also a women's category at the event.
The Indian Open of Surfing, inspired by the US Open of Surfing and the Australian Open of Surfing is the first of its kind in Karnataka. The Surfing Federation of India, with a view to popularise the sport of surfing in India has also tied up with the Mantra Surf Club and the newly formed Kanara Surfing & Water Sports Promotion Council. In doing so, they hope to open up an additional revenue stream for the sport. Along with the National Surfing Competition, the tournament will also witness a Bodyboarding Competition and a Stand Up Paddle Race. A kitesurfing demo is also on the cards, weather permitting. With Jonty Rhodes as the event ambassador, live music shows, and a food festival as well, a number of celebrities such as Bollywood Superstar Sunil Shetty, Cricketers Paddy Upton and Sanju Samson are expected to descend on the coastal city during the event.
Speaking about the event, the event ambassador and South African former cricketer Jonty Rhodes highlighted the importance of such events in India, “This event is a major development of surfing as a sport in India. I am thrilled to be promoting an event that might be a game changer for Surfing scenario in the country.”
The President of the Surfing Federation of India, Mr Kishore Kumar also believes in the potential of surfing as a major spectator sport in India, “Surfing has a tremendous potential to reach to its mass audience and make an impact. It is indeed a great opportunity for budding Surfers to showcase their prowess.”
In an endeavour to make the event spectator friendly, Karnataka Tourism has also embarked on a major cleanup of the beach area with the motto, Helping Hand for Surf and Sand'. This cleanup operation has attracted over 300 volunteers. They hope to encourage the sport, and see it as an additional arena where tourism based activities can be increased. The event will be judged by a panel of ISA certified judges from Australia, France and India headed by Made Sachang from Bali.
The schedule for the three day events is as below:
May 27th
7:30 AM - Surfing Championships
10:00 AM- Inauguration Ceremony
11:00 AM - Surfing Championships Continue
2:00 PM- Stand Up Paddle Race
3:00 PM - Kitesurfing Demo
5:30 - Entertainment
May 28th
7:30 AM - 1:00 AM - Surfing Championships
2:00 PM - Stand Up Paddle Race
3:00 PM - Kite Surfing Demo
5:30 PM - Entertainment
May 29th
7:30 AM - 1:00 AM - Surfing Championships
2:00 PM - Stand Up Paddle Race
3:00 PM - Kite Surfing Demo
4:00 PM - Closing Ceremony, Prize Distribution
5:30 PM - Entertainment
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