Mangaluru: The India Paddle Festival 2025 witnessed a day of high-octane competition at Sasihithlu Beach, with defending champions retaining their titles and young Indian paddlers making waves in the junior categories.

In the APP Distance Race (10 km), Spain’s Esperanza Barreras reaffirmed her supremacy in the Women’s category, clinching first place in 51:11:35. South Africa’s Chiara Vorster (57:44:18) and Korea’s Sujeong Lim (58:33:37) rounded out the podium. On the men’s side, Spain’s Antonio Morillo outpaced his competitors to finish in 44:53:47, followed by Hungary’s Daniel Hasulyo (45:34:38) and Denmark’s Christian Andersen (47:05:46).

The event also showcased India’s emerging talent. In the U-15 Technical Distance Race (1.5 km), Tamil Nadu’s Aneesh Kumar triumphed with a time of 10:13:34, while local paddler Pradeep (12:16:37) and fellow Tamil Nadu competitor Nitish K (13:23:42) secured second and third places. Meanwhile, the U-18 race (5 km) saw Indonesia’s Keefe Anargya Pranoto (38:46:58) edge out defending champion Aakash Pujar (39:35:27), with Raju Pujar (43:00:59) finishing third.

The festival, organized by the Surfing Swami Foundation and Mantra Surf Club in collaboration with Karnataka Tourism and Incredible India, also featured the Mantra Adventure Film Festival, highlighting India’s adventure sports culture. As the event heads into its final day, anticipation builds for the Sprint Races, where top Indian and international paddlers will compete for championship titles.