Sekar Patchai’s formative years were spent in the ocean catching fish and swimming for hours. Till one day he saw a colourful fish of a different kind. On closer inspection, it turned out it wasn’t a fish at all but a surf board. He was fascinated. Soon Murthy Megavan, surfer from Covelong Point Surf School spotted him and introduced him to surfing.
Six years on and Sekar’s romance with the surf board has only blossomed. He’s a 11-time Stand Up Paddle champion. “I saw a few people trying it out here. I became even more curious when I was participating in a competition in Puri in 2013 and saw that there was a separate category for it. I came back and trained myself, and in the same year, won my first SUP title,” he beams.
The 26-year-old is now all set to represent India at the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship that begins on November 12. “I am excited about Fiji. It’s my first international competition. My sponsor, the TT Group, has been very encouraging and says that they’d be happy even if I finish in the top 10. But me... I want to win or at least finish second,” he smiles.
He’s been practising on alternate days and covers a distance of 20 km in around 2 hours 15 minutes. “As part of the training, I am also working out in the gym now. The competition is going to be fierce. There will be around 80-100 participants from 30 countries. I am a little scared but confident as well,” he says.
