This story is from August 25, 2016

Vizag boy to tame the waves in surfing event

In 2011, when 11-year-old Kalyan Rayithi's coach started giving him surfing lessons, the experienced surfer knew the child has an innate skill in wave riding and would be able to tame the waves as a seasoned surfer soon.
Vizag boy to tame the waves in surfing event
In 2011, when 11-year-old Kalyan Rayithi's coach started giving him surfing lessons, the experienced surfer knew the child has an innate skill in wave riding and would be able to tame the waves as a seasoned surfer soon.

Visakhapatnam: In 2011, when 11-year-old Kalyan Rayithi's coach started giving him surfing lessons, the experienced surfer knew the child has an innate skill in wave riding and would be able to tame the waves as a seasoned surfer soon. Kalyan didn't disappoint his coach. After winning various local and inter-state surfing competitions held in various places, this Vizag boy, who is barely 16, has been selected for the Open Surfing event - Covelong Point 2016 - being held at Kovalam in Kerala from August 26-28.
Around 300 surfers from India and abroad are to participate in this event where Kalyan would be one of the youngest participants.
Hailing from a poor fisherman's family and currently studying first year intermediate in English medium, Kalyan's education is sponsored by his coach Melville Smythe, a national level surfing and sailing expert, associated with the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), who coaches several children from the fisherfolk community free of cost at Wave-Riders Surf School in Rushikonda. Kalyan's mother works with the District Sports Authority (DSA) as a helper for a meagre monthly salary of Rs 2,000, while his father goes to the sea for fishing to eke out a living.
"I recently got the good news that Kalyan has been selected for the event in Kerala, where surfers from other countries including Indonesia, Maldives and France would also take part. In the last five years, Kalyan has taken the sea by storm through his wave riding skills. Though we don't have adequate surfing boards for individual surfers, he has won locally and in various national level competitions in Puducherry and Puri, now it's the time to make all of us proud again by participating and winning in this Kovalam competition. Thanks to DSA and SAAP, who have enabled us to go to Kovalam for the event. There are talented surfers like Kalyan among the fisherfolk community and if given proper chance and training, they can go a long way in this sport," averred Smythe.
If Kalyan wins, besides getting a chance to surf abroad in Maldives or Sri Lanka for a couple of days, it might give him an opportunity to represent the country in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. "I want to totally focus on this game. From birth, I am associated with the sea and I enjoy taming the waves. I am keen to win the surfing competition and represent India in the forthcoming Olympics in Tokyo, where surfing as a sport is to be included for the first time," said Kalyan, who thanks his coach as well as former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes for inspiring him to do his best in surfing whenever the cricketer would visit Vizag's Wave-Riders Surf School.
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About the Author
Sulogna Mehta

Sulogna Mehta is a principal correspondent with The Times of India in Visakhapatnam. She handles beats such as Medical and Health, Tourism, Women and child welfare and communities. She has a liking for medical and health related stories. She has interest in creative writing. Her hobby is travelling.

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