India Paddle Festival: Antonio Morillo, Esperanza Barreras emerge victorious in thrilling finale
Sports: The final day was packed with high-intensity races, culminating in the crowning of Antonio Morillo (Men’s) and Esperanza Barreras (Women’s) as the overall champions.
The International SUP Championship of the India Paddle Festival 2025, the country’s only international Stand-Up Paddling event, came to a thrilling conclusion at Sasihithlu Beach, with Denmark’s Christian Andersen and Spain’s Esperanza Barreras clinching victory in the APP Pro Sprint Finals.
The final day was packed with high-intensity races, culminating in the crowning of Antonio Morillo (Men’s) and Esperanza Barreras (Women’s) as the overall champions of the event. Among juniors, local talent Aakash Pujar emerged as the U-18 overall champion, while Sekar Patchai delivered a stellar performance, finishing fourth in the overall rankings.
Suniel Shetty graces the occasion
Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty presented trophies to the champions. Speaking at the event, he emphasised the importance of supporting ocean sports in India, “Thank you very much for believing in us and believing that this little place, though small, is a beautiful and deeply pious place—one of the most sacred places in the world. And yet, it has the potential to deliver an event of this magnitude. Your faith in us means everything."
In the APP Pro Sprints Men’s Final, Christian Andersen delivered a commanding performance to secure first place, defeating Spain’s Antonio Morillo, who finished second, and Hungary’s Daniel Hasulyo, who claimed third.
Earlier in the day, the Consolation Finals saw an all-Indian podium, with Sekar Patchai taking top honours, followed by Manikandan M and Selvarasan Nagamuthu in second and third place, respectively.
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The APP Pro Sprints Women’s Final witnessed Esperanza Barreras reaffirming her dominance in the sport, crossing the finish line ahead of Korea’s Sujeong Lim and South Africa’s Chiara Vorster, who finished second and third, respectively. The Spanish champion’s triumphant run throughout the festival solidified her position as one of the sport’s most formidable competitors.
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The junior paddlers also delivered stellar performances. The APP Sprints Groms (U-15) Final saw Praveen Pujar claim the top spot, with Aneesh Kumar securing second place and Muhammad Irfan finishing third. In the U-18 Boys category, Thailand’s Martin J Patumsuwon outpaced the competition to take gold, while India’s Aakash Pujar and Raju Pujar impressed once again, finishing second and third, respectively.
The festival also hosted a 4km Community Race, where recreational paddlers competed in a friendly but competitive environment.
Samanth emerged victorious, followed closely by Gokul in second and Madhukar in third.