A brave bunch of 12 young talented Indian swimmers were felicitated for their historic swim across the Palk Strait, at a momentous function recently held at the Late Shri Ramchandra Thakur Swimming Pool in Thane.
The 12 young talented swimmers from Thane District were recently felicitated at the Late Shri Ramchandra Thakur Swimming Pool in Thane. The swimmers pose with Chief Guest, Shri Dipak Chavan, Dy. Collector of Thane, Guest of Honour, Jwala Singh, founder of Jwala Sports Foundation and Mumbai Cricket Club. Also seen are Social activists, Sujay Patki and Manoj Pillay and the swimming coaches.
Chief Guest, Shri Dipak Chavan, Dy. Collector of Thane, praised the swimmers for their remarkable achievement and commended their parents and coaches for their unwavering support.
Renowned cricket coach and mentor Shri Jwala Singh, the founder of Jwala Sports Foundation and Mumbai Cricket Club, also spoke at the event. He emphasized the role of the coaches in instilling self-belief in the swimmers, enabling them to achieve the unthinkable. Singh mentioned his own adage, “First the mind thinks, and then the body does”.
Social activists, Sujay Patki and Manoj Pillay from the hosting sports facility also congratulated the team and acknowledged the efforts of all those involved, both visible and invisible.
The team of 12 swimmers created history by becoming the first team from Thane District to successfully participate in the Ram Setu Open Water Swimming Expedition — a swim across the Palk Strait, from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in India, covering a distance of 23 km in a relay pattern. The swimmers, aged between 9 and 18 years, braved adverse weather conditions with wind speeds of 30 km/h and wave heights of 1.1 meters in the South-South-South Westerly direction, completing the swim in 10 hours and 40 minutes.
The swimmers commenced their journey at dawn on 4th May 2024 from Talaimannar, Sri Lanka, and successfully reached Dhanushkodi, India, by the afternoon. Despite the challenging conditions, the young swimmers showcased exceptional grit, willpower, endurance, and determination.
The team was trained at the Ramchandra Thakur Swimming Pool in Thane under the guidance of Chief Coach Narendra Pawar, with assistance from Bharti Sawant. The project was led by Arti Pradhan, a former international swimmer, Arjuna and Shiv Chhatrapati awardee, and a renowned sports mentor and influencer.
Pradhan explained that the young swimmers had earlier crossed Alibaug (Dharamtar Jetty to Gateway of India), a distance of 33 km, and were prepared with sea exposure over the past three years. They were also put through an intensive training regime before embarking on this expedition. “This is the first-ever attempt by swimmers from Thane District. The youngsters trained every weekend in the open waters at Uran and went through regular practice at the Ramchandra Thakur swimming pool for two hours daily,” she mentioned.
This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the young swimmers and their support system, setting a high standard for future endeavors.
The swimmers who achieved this memorable and incredible feat are:
- Arnav Patil (9 years)
- Swara Hanjankar (11 years)
- Abhir Salaskar (11 years)
- Vanshika Iyer (12 years)
- Shardul Sontakke (13 years)
- Rudra Shirali (13 years)
- Apurva Pawar (15 years)
- Atharva Pawar (15 years)
- Saviola Mascarenhas (16 years)
- Swara Sawant (17 years)
- Laukik Pednekar (18 years)
- Meet Gupte (18 years)
This historic event marks a significant milestone in the journey of these young swimmers and sets an inspiring precedent for aspiring athletes.