Dhanushkoti (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 16 (ANI): Celebrating the spirit of athleticism, grit and determination, two celebrated Indian swimmers, Bharat Sachdeva and Shaaswat Sharma on Monday swam across the 32-km challenging stretch of Palk Strait (Ram Setu) within the clocked time of 10 hours 30 minutes.
At the heart of this extraordinary expedition lies a noble cause of promoting adventure sports and open swimming to athletes in India, fostering universal brotherhood and friendship among neighbouring countries. Additionally, the expedition aims to raise awareness about water safety and the prevention of drowning incidents.
The expedition commenced from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka and concluded at Dhanushkoti, India. The swim was conducted under the supervision of an expert crew that helped the swimmers navigate and provided nutrition during the swim. An external observer also joined the crew to ensure adherence to the rules and regulations.
Commenting on the occasion, Bharat Sachdeva said “This is as big as winning a medal for the country. Shaaswat and I have been working towards realising this dream for a few years, and we are glad it has finally come true. Besides promoting the spirit of unity, our aim is to draw attention towards the dire support this sport needs in our country, be it the right infrastructure or investments. Our efforts will be successful when we will see more young talent from India opting for swimming and representing the country at prestigious national and international platforms.”
Shaaswat Sharma added, “For me, this achievement has a very high spiritual and cultural significance. As a national swimmer, I have participated in several challenges, but crossing the Ram Setu is one for the country. While we were swimming the stretch, we were filled with mixed emotions, of celebrating the spirit of universal brotherhood and on the other hand, calling out to the nation to nurture swimming as a key sport in the country.”
Bharat is a celebrated Health and Wellness Consultant, an International Swimmer and an Ironman Triathlete. As part of the high-performance coaching unit with the Indian Boxing Team preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, Bharat got the opportunity to work with and train the likes of MC Mary Kom, Amit Panghal, Vikas Krishan Yadav etc., in the space of Visualisation and Breathwork. 
A technical architect by profession, Shaaswat Sharma is a national medalist in swimming, a national waterpolo player, ultra long-distance swimmer, and a triathlete. He boasts a collection of over 500 medals and trophies with multiple all-India records to his name. Shaaswat is the title holder for the fastest 2K swimmer in the Goa Swimathon 2024. He also holds the title for 10 km swimming in the Delhi International Swimathon.
The swimmers received permissions from relevant authorities like the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka, and other government bodies to undertake the initiative. (ANI)
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