Asian surfers benefit from ISA scholarships

Praveen Kumar, 17, from India is one 43 recipients. He became an ISA-certified instructor and now teaches kids in his village how to surf. © ISA
Praveen Kumar, 17, from India is one 43 recipients. He became an ISA-certified instructor and now teaches kids in his village how to surf. © ISA

La Jolla Blvd, Calif., USA, December 28, 2020: The International Surfing Association (ISA) has announced that 43 youth surfers from 15 countries have been selected as recipients of the 2020 ISA Scholarship Program. The countries include India, Iran and Maldives.

A total of USD 20,000 will be distributed among the new wave of scholarship ambassadors according to the particular needs of each recipient.

Scholarship recipients are selected based on their financial need as well as dedication to education and surfing.

The diversity of the nationalities (15 countries represented) reflects the ISA’s overarching push to grow and spread the sport in non-traditional surfing nations around the globe.

The countries are: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, India, Iran, Jamaica, Maldives, Morocco, Senegal, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.

Since 2007, the ISA has awarded USD 348,500 to more than 350 surfers around the world who are 18 years of age and under.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said: “Our commitment to the ISA Scholarship Program is testament to our dedication to spreading the joy of surfing all around the globe, especially to surfers who are under-served and disadvantaged.

“As surfing gains more momentum in the Olympic Movement, achieving inclusion in more multisport events in the future, I am sure that we will see more and more scholarship ambassadors shine at the top of their disciplines.”

The 43 recipients include:

India: Praveen Kumar, Naman K Sanil, NaveenKumar R

Iran: Yousef Balouchi, Amirhossein Rezaei Sharabian, Mahkameh Moarrab

Maldives: Mohamed Zayan

Source: https://www.isasurf.org