The Karnataka High Court on Thursday reserved its order on a plea filed by Ramesh Budihal, the only Indian to have won an Asian Surfing Championship medal, challenging the Surfing Federation of India’s decision to select him only as the first reserve in the men’s surfing event at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.
The federation admitted before the court that its Executive Council has no power to select surfers to represent India at the Asian Games. Its counsel said, “Yesterday the court had asked as to where in the bye-laws is there a power with the executive council to select the participants—I am saying there is none.”
The court’s direction came on Wednesday after the federation’s counsel referred to a circular it had issued and claimed that it had the right to nominate participants for the event, to be held from September 19 to October 4.
On June 23, the council selected Sivaraj Babu to represent India and Budihal as the first reserve. Budihal has sought a direction to constitute a fresh selection committee to pick participants for the event, arguing that the council cannot select participants.
The federation’s counsel then suggested a surf-off be held between Babu and Budihal to select the participant to be sent to Japan. Budihal’s counsel turned down the offer and said the federation’s selection policy does not allow such an option. He said the policy demands that selection be done either on the basis of past performance or a coin toss.
“On the face of it, it is very clear that they have not followed their own policy. I am the only qualified person, and I only got the medal representing the country, and now I am being deprived of the opportunity to represent the country and sit as reserve,” his counsel said.
The federation reiterated that its Executive Council made the decisions on July 23 because the selection committee had not made any recommendation. It had earlier stated that it picked the participants based on past performance due to time constraints, as it had to send their details to the Indian Olympic Association so they could be uploaded on the Olympic Council of Asia’s portal.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj reserved his order after hearing both parties.
Budihal won a bronze medal at the Asian Surfing Championship 2025, held in Tamil Nadu.
His plea contends that the council’s decision is highly arbitrary, discriminatory, unreasonable, and violates Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.
