Mangaluru: The India Paddle Festival 2025 came to a thrilling close at Sasihithlu Beach, with Denmark’s Christian Andersen and Spain’s Esperanza Barreras clinching victories in the Pro Sprint Finals. Spain’s Antonio Morillo and Barreras were crowned overall champions after three days of intense competition at the country’s premier international Stand-Up Paddling (SUP) event.

The grand finale was marked by a spectacular display of skill and endurance, as top international paddlers competed across multiple race formats. Andersen outpaced Spain’s Morillo and Hungary’s Daniel Hasulyo in the men’s sprint final, while Barreras dominated the women’s sprint, finishing ahead of Korea’s Sujeong Lim and South Africa’s Chiara Vorster.

The championship also saw remarkable performances from Indian paddlers. Local talent Aakash Pujar won the U-18 overall title, while Tamil Nadu’s Sekar Patchai secured a commendable fourth place in the men’s overall rankings. In the junior categories, Praveen Pujar topped the U-15 APP Sprints Groms final.

The event’s closing ceremony featured Bollywood star and sports enthusiast Suniel Shetty, who felicitated the winners and emphasized the importance of developing ocean sports in India.

Morillo secured the men’s overall championship with 18,000 points, followed by Andersen (16,500) and Hasulyo (14,500). Barreras dominated the women’s category, winning both the APP Distance and Sprint races to secure a perfect 20,000 points. Vorster and Lim tied for second place with 14,500 points each.

The festival, organised by the Surfing Swami Foundation and Mantra Surf Club in association with WrkWrk, Incredible India, and Karnataka Tourism, showcased India’s growing potential in the non-motorised water sports segment. A 4km community race also attracted recreational paddlers, further popularising SUP among enthusiasts.