Mohamed “Choppu” Zayan is among the recipients of the 2020 ISA Scholarship Program.

15-year-old Zayan has been surfing for about a year and has already made great strides including winning third place in the Gadhoo Pro competition.

Noting that Zayan “shows natural talent for the sport,” ISA said that the scholarship will allow the young athlete to “get proper surf equipment so that he continue along his trajectory to become a top-level surfer in the country and abroad”.

While Zayan is among the 43 youth surfers from 15 countries selected for the program, Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof congratulated him via Twitter.

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

While ISA selects their scholarship recipients based on their financial need as well as dedication to education and surfing, they are to each receive USD 20,000.

The ISA has awarded scholarships to more than 350 surfers around the world who are 18 years of age and under, since 2007.

Noting that announcing the scholarship recipients is his “favourite part of the year,” ISA President Fernando Aguerre said that the program is testament to their “dedication to spreading the joy of surfing all around the globe, especially to surfers who are underserved and disadvantaged”.