Kamali Moorthy will spearhead India’s first Asian Games surfing team at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan
The Mahabalipuram surfer is India’s No. 1 in women’s shortboard surfing and is weeks shy of her 17th birthday
Surfing is making its Asian Games debut, with India beginning its campaign at Pacific Long Beach in Tahara from September 25
Weeks shy of her 17th birthday, Kamali Moorthy is set to lead India’s campaign when surfing makes its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan. India’s No. 1 in women’s shortboard surfing is part of a four-member national team that begins its campaign at Pacific Long Beach in Tahara, Aichi, from September 25.
The Mahabalipuram surfer carries more than just medal hopes. Kamali and her mother Suganthi, who come from a fishing village in the coastal town, have already become a public story through a short film inspired by their lives.
That makes this debut bigger than one athlete’s first Asian Games. It is India’s first entry in surfing at the continental event and a test of how far a young sport in the country has come.
Reel To Reality
Kamali’s story reached audiences long before this Asian Games call-up. She and her single mother Suganthi inspired a 24-minute short film that began shooting when Kamali was seven years old.
The film centred on a young skateboarder raised by a single mother who was fighting gender shackles. It was directed by London-based New Zealander Sasha Rainbow.
The documentary later earned global attention. It was nominated in the short film category at the 2020 British Academy Film Awards and was also shortlisted for the Oscars. The film won great reviews.
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.
Rise Through Surfing
Kamali started early. She first got on a surfboard at the age of three after being inspired by her uncle and surfing instructor Santhosh Moorthy.
Her competitive rise gathered pace in 2023 when she won both the Women’s Open and U-16 Girls titles at the Indian Open of Surfing. She followed that by becoming the 2024 national surfing champion and then defended her Women’s Open and U-16 titles at the 2025 Indian Open of Surfing.
She added more wins in 2026. Kamali took the Women’s Open title at the Little Andaman Pro and then won gold in both the Women’s Open and U-18 Girls’ events at the NMPA Indian Open of Surfing.
The international step came in 2024. Kamali competed at the Asian Surfing Championships in the Maldives, where her performance helped India secure historic qualification for surfing at the Asian Games.
That run earned her selection in India’s first-ever Asian Games surfing team for Aichi-Nagoya 2026. She was picked alongside Sugar Shanthi Banarse of Goa.
Support And Stakes
Government backing has helped. Surfing is already being supported by the Union sports ministry and the Surfing Federation of India receives funding under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition scheme.
Kamali also received financial assistance for foreign exposure at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Peru and the 2025 Asian Pro-Am Surf Series in China.
“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,” Kamali said to SAI Media.
She added: “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.”
The field will be strong. Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines are among Asia’s leading surfing countries, while the Asian Games competition will also carry added weight because it offers quota places for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
