India Paddle Festival begins Friday; KL Rahul, Chirag Shetty extend support

The event, which will be a mix of sports and cultural events, will see a total of 45 stand-up paddlers from across the world competing in four categories Mens Open, Womens Open, Junior U-16 Boys, and Girls.

Some of the world's best stand-up paddlers, including World No. 2 Fernando Perez and reigning national champion Sekar Patchai, will be vying for top honours at the first-ever India Paddle Festival, beginning here Friday. The three-day event has garnered support from celebrities and sportspersons such as Indian cricketer KL Rahul and reigning badminton doubles world No. 1 Chirag Shetty, who have been roped in as the Goodwill Ambassadors. The event, which will be a mix of sports and cultural events, will see a total of 45 stand-up paddlers from across the world competing in four categories – Men's Open, Women's Open, Junior U-16 Boys, and Girls. ''The first ever International Stand-up Paddle Championship is happening in one of my favorite cities, Mangaluru. I feel proud that your hard work has maintained Mangaluru's reputation,'' said Rahul, who hails from this coastal city. 'This is going to be a great step towards promoting the fastest growing water sport. My best wishes to all athletes, participants and organisers,'' said Chirag. The first of the event will witness a Yoga session, followed by a Community/ Pro SUP Paddle session. The main event will be the Juniors Race.