75 swimmers participate in six-hour Swimathon

The organisers have claimed that the event will be registered by India Book of Records. Earlier union Minister Nitin Gadkari flagged off the relay swimathon. NIT Trustee Sandeep Itkelwar; NIT chairman Manojkumar Suryawanshi; Tourism Department’s Prashant Sawai; Deputy Director, Sports, Shekhar Patil; India Book of Records Adjudicator Nikhilesh Sawarkar; Commanding Officer Deep Karan Singh; Hanuman Sports Academy’s Dr Sanjay Ugemuge; JD Sports Foundation President Dr Jaiprakash Duble, international sea swimmer Jayant Duble and others were present on the occasion.

A batch of swimmers took plunge in the waters at 11.45 am and the relay swimming went non-stop till 6.54 pm for six hours and nine minutes. Swimmers from the age of eight to 75 including men, women, boys, girls and para swimmers participated in the relay race. On the occasion Jayant Duble was presented with a Certificate from Asia Book of Records for his successful attempt of crossing the Palk Strait — 30km distance from Sri Lanka to India. He recorded the second best time in the world during his attempt. The 20-year-old NCC Naval Cadet will cross North Channel between Northern Ireland to Scotland (34 kms) in the month of September. Gadkari wished him good luck for the upcoming endeavour.