CHENNAI: The Asian Surfing Federation (ASF) elected Arun Vasu, presently the president of Surfing Federation of India (SFI), as its new president, in a vote by member national federations supervised by the International Surfing Association (ISA).

A lifetime windsurfer and surfer, Vasu has served as President of SFI since 2021, a period that saw India qualify its first surfers for the Asian Games, win its first medal at an Asian Surfing Championship, host India's first ASF continental championship, and stage the country's first World Surfing League event.

He is also chairman and managing director of the TT Group and serves as Honorary Consul for Sweden in South India.

Vasu succeeds outgoing president Atsushi Sakai of Japan, whose tenure since 2011 saw the Federation's continued growth and the advancement of surfing's Olympic pathway across Asia.

“I want to begin by acknowledging Japan's leadership over these many years, and everything built under it. That legacy is real, and this Federation stands on it,” said Arun Vasu following the result.

“What comes next is ours to build together. ASF's future has to belong equally to every part of Asia, and both surfing and SUP deserve a real stage. That work starts now.”

Vasu takes office with the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya as an immediate priority, alongside a stated commitment to expanding competitive stand-up paddle across the region and strengthening ASF's presence among National Federations that remain underrepresented within the Federation.