Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), Jul 31 (PTI) The Mahabs Point Break Challenge will be the third stop of the ongoing National Surf Series, where top Indian surfers will vie for top honours.

The event will be held adjacent to the Shore Temple here on August 1 and and will also be its third edition, a press release said.

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In the men's Open category, defending champion Ramesh Budihal will return and will eye a hat-trick of victories. However, he will be up against strong competitors like Srikanth D, Ajeesh Ali, Harish M, Sivaraj Babu, and Sanjay S.

Ajeesh, Harish and Srikanth had also been recently named in the Indian squad for the Asian Surfing Championship.

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Meanwhile, Under-16 surfing champions Kishore Kumar and Tayin Arun will also compete in the Open category.

In the women's Open category, current national number one P Kamali will be looking to secure her overall national championship.

Also, Sugar Shanthi Banarse will be eyeing a win to keep her championship ranking hopes alive.

The event will witness a total of 76 surfers participating including 48 in the Open Men category.

The championship will see participation from different states, the release said.

"The level of competition in the Open Men category is quite fierce, and the quality of surfing in India is growing. We are excited to witness such a high calibre of talent at this year's Mahabs Point Break Challenge," said Arun Vasu, President of the Surfing Federation of India.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)