New Delhi, Aug. 31 -- It was a familiar situation for Ramesh "Ram" Budihal. Two years ago, at an Asian-level surfing competition in Sri Lanka, he had made his first major international final, only to finish fourth and outside the podium places.

Earlier this month, he was minutes away from starting another final, this time at the Asian Surfing Championships in Mahabalipuram. Besides personal glory, there were quota places at stake for the Asian Games in Japan next year. He gazed intently at the waves breaking in the distance, soaking in the sounds of the ocean before embracing the challenge ahead.

"A lot of positive thoughts, where I visualised the things I had worked on and the good days I had experienced in the past. My goal was to sim...