Thulusdhoo, Maldives (August 24): Promising surfer Kayan Zaki has reached a historic milestone for the Maldives by advancing to the semi-final of the ASF Asian Surfing Championship junior category (U18), representing the country’s greatest achievement in junior surfing at the continental level.

This also marks the first time a junior surfer from the Maldives has competed in the semi-finals.

Kayan Zaki was one of three Maldivian surfers who advanced to the quarter-finals of the Asian Surfing Championship. The other two surfers where, Kayan Areef and Sayyid Salahuddheen - the captain of junior surfing team.

In Heat 2, Kayan Zaki secured second place with 9.64 points, earning a spot in the semi-finals. The heat was won by Troy Espejon from the Philippines, who scored 11.10 points.

In the semi-final heat, Kayan finished in fourth place, ending his chances of reaching the final. He scored 5.87 points, while Taro Takai from Japan and Chengzheng Wang from China secured the final spots with 14.50 and 10.00 points, respectively. Indian surfer Kishore Kumar placed third with 8.26 points.

The Maldives has secured qualification spots in both the men's and women's categories for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. This achievement is based on the Maldives' point tally compared to other South Asian countries. In the men's open category, the Maldives is currently ranked 4th in Asia.