Three women and four men became the first Indian relay team to swim across Sri Lanka’s Talaimannar to Tamil Nadu’s Dhanushkodi in 10 hours and 45 minutes on Monday.
The Bengaluru-based swimming team, left Talaimannar at 5 am and arrived at Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram at 3.45 pm on March 13. They were headed by Rajesh Samathanam official observer from the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and Angel Sailor Ocean Services, as per reports.
The seven members of the team included- Sivaranjini Krishnamurthy (41), Suma Rao (53), Manjari Chhawchharia (45), Rajasekar Reddy (52), Prashanth Rajanna (45), Ajath Anjappa (40), Jayaprakash Muniyal (55).
During their swim, the team encountered dolphins, jellyfishes and other aquatic creatures and had to contend with the tide and crosswinds.
One of the woman swimmers dedicated the accomplishment to her late father, who had finished the swim in the early 1970s.
The team was provided the search and rescue cover by the Sri Lankan Navy in Sri Lankan waters, along with the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard securing their safety.
The team members thanked the authorities, Open Water Swimmers’ Foundation, Pamban Nesakkarangal Charity Trust, and Kadal Osai Community Radio for their assistance during the attempt.
Before this, a 14-year-old swimmer Snehan from Theni district became the youngest individual to successfully complete a two-way swim between Talaimannar and Dhanushkodi in March last year. The boy had broken a record by swimming 57 kilometres in two directions across the Palk Strait, from Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka, and back, in a time of 19 hours and 45 minutes.
Moreover, Snehan broke the previous record of 8 hours and 25 minutes by setting the record one way in under 7 hours and 55 minutes. By swimming from Dhanushkodi to Talaimannar and back in 19 hours and 45 minutes, he also broke the previous record of 28 hours and 36 minutes held by a Sri Lankan youngster named Roshan Abhi Sundar. Subsequently, Snehan has made it into the URF World Records Book with this accomplishment.
In terms of other Indian swimmers, Mihir Sen was the first Indian swimmer to cross the English Channel. In fact, he became the first man to swim across the oceans of all five continents in 1958.
As he crossed the English Channel from Dover to Calais which is about 50 kilometres for the first time in September 1958, he did it at a record time of 14 hours and 45 minutes.
Mihir Sen’s this unique achievement earned him a place in The Guinness World Book of Records as the World’s greatest long-distance swimmer. Sen has conferred the Padma Shri award in 1959 and Padma Bhushan in 1967 for his accomplishments.
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