PANJIM: Four seasoned long-distance swimmers from across India, who have qualified for the challenging, English Channel crossing will take part in the Goa Swimathon 2019 event scheduled to be held in the Bambolim Bay on March 23 and 24.
A record 581 swimmers from across India will be taking part in this event organised by Enduro Sports Goa.
While Samir Wheaton from Jaipur will lead a four-man relay team for a July 2019 crossing of the English Channel, Sudarshan Chari from Mumbai has qualified to make a solo, English Channel crossing.
Explaining how the English Channel (EC) crossing plan materialised, Samir said, “The EC relay team is a product of the Goa Swimathon and the Goa Open Water Swim group where Zarir Baliwala and Moiz Rajkotwala both from Mumbai, Anirban Mukerji from Pune and Imet after a swim hatched the plan in Goa to team up for a EC crossing in July 2019.”
According to Samir, the EC is a classic swim to tick off the bucket list. “If we do it, we will be a team averaging 52+ in age from India. All of us are active sportsmen, triathletes and runners. It is for the love of the open waters that we have taken up this dream swim,” Samir said.
It is clear that the Goa Swimathon has played a large role in the manner which these open water swimming enthusiasts have shaped up in the last few years.
Mumbai based businessman, Zarir Baliwala said, “The Goa Swimathon feels like a home event. The organizers treat us so well, the ambience is amazing, and Bambolim beach has an unpatrolled charm. This will be my 4th year at the Goa Swimathon.”
Another Mumbai swimmer, Sudarshan Chari, who has qualified for an English Channel solo crossing also shared similar sentiments about the Goa Swimathon. “I started my open water swimming in Goa, hence the Goa Swimathon is extremely close to my heart. The event is one of best open water events organised in the country with special emphasis on safety of each and every participant,” Chari said.
Another swimmer, Nikhil Badwe of Bengaluru is also full of praise for the Goa Swimathon. 30-year-old Nikhil, an Ironman triathlete will be attempting a 10 km swim for the first time next weekend.
Nikhil, who has been training for the same under the watchful eyes of Pune based Ironman coach, Kaustubh Radkar said, “The whole experience of Enduro Sports Goa Swimathon is great. I had done a 5km swim in 2017. They take safety of the participants very seriously. Be it in terms of briefing them, providing support in terms of kayaks, boats, trained lifeguards, doctors being available. You also meet a lot of fellow enthusiastic swimmers and learn from them.”
