Mangaluru : Conditions on the beach, and the local surfing talent, make Sasihitlu a potential venue for hosting international surfing events, said Steve Robertson, general manager of the World Surf League, Australia.

Mr. Robertson, who is in the city to oversee the Indian Open of Surfing event that will commence on Friday, said that surfing was expanding in a big way in Asia and he was scouting for new venues. He was greatly impressed with the surfing talent in Mangaluru and also of the quality of surfing boards made in India. “We are keen on having international surfing events here,” Mr. Robertson said.

Mr. Robertson said that surfing was catching up in India which now has a good number of confident surfers. He said that surfing will attract more number of youths in the days to come. Like in the Philippines and Taiwan, which he visited on surfing duties, Mr. Robertson said that the number of surfers in India will also increase. Surfing was a popular sport in Australia where there are around two million surfers.

Mr. Robertson has come here with his wife Olwyn, also a surfer, to watch the event.