PUBLIC SUMMARY OF SELECTION MINUTES
ASIAN GAMES 2026 SURFING SQUAD SELECTION
Public Summary of the Selection Decision
Published under Section 10 of the SFI Asian Games 2026 Selection Policy
Date of decision: 3 June 2026
Date of squad announcement: 5 June 2026
Date of this summary: 9 June 2026
This summary is published in accordance with Section 10 of the SFI Asian Games 2026 Selection Policy, which provides for the recording of minutes and the posting of a public summary of selection decisions. The detailed minutes and athlete-level assessments are recorded and retained on the selection file in accordance with Section 7, which requires individual athlete data to be masked and only aggregated outcomes to be made public.
The selection process
The SFI Asian Games Selection Committee convened on 3 June 2026 to finalise the men’s and women’s surfing squads for the 2026 Asian Games. The Committee applied the selection criteria set out in the Selection Policy and in Addendum 1 dated 16 May 2026, namely: national series performance and rankings; data and assessments from national coaching and selection camps; and international competition performance.
Consistent with Addendum 1, no single criterion was treated as determinative; the criteria were considered together by the Committee in an overall assessment of each athlete’s competitiveness, consistency and medal potential for the 2026 Asian Games. To ensure fair comparability between athletes, datasets in which not all shortlisted athletes had an equal opportunity to participate were treated with appropriate caution in the comparative assessment.
The decision drew on the available competitive record across the selection cycle and on the assessment of the national coaching staff. The Committee’s deliberations are recorded on the selection file.
How the Committee reached its decision
The selection was not determined by any single ranking table or numerical formula. The national coaching staff presented a competitive assessment of the shortlisted athletes, and the Committee considered each athlete’s overall body of work across the selection cycle — including competitiveness against strong fields, consistency of performance, and readiness for the conditions anticipated at the 2026 Asian Games. Having assessed these matters together, the Committee arrived at its decision and recorded the reasons for it. The detailed evaluations underlying the assessment are retained on the selection file, with individual athlete data masked in accordance with Section 7, and are available in full to the independent Appeals Panel.
Outcome
Each squad comprises two selected athletes and two reserve athletes. The athletes are listed below in alphabetical order; no order of priority among them is published, consistent with the Committee’s decision and with Section 7.
Men — Selected: Kishore Kumar; Sivaraj Babu.
Men — Reserves: Ramesh Budihal; Srikanth D.
Women — Selected: Kamali Moorthy; Sugar Shanthi Banarse.
Women — Reserves: Devi Ramanathan; Shrishti Selvam.
Reconfirmation
In accordance with the Selection Policy, the selection is subject to reconfirmation on 20 June 2026.
Review
Athletes and affiliated members may seek review of the selection through the appeals mechanism provided under Section 11 of the Selection Policy. Any appeals received are considered by an independent Appeals Panel constituted under that Section.
Issued by order of the Selection Committee,
Surfing Federation of India
