RAMESWARAM/DHANUSHKODI/THALAI MANNAR: When long distance adventure swimmer S P Muraleedharan touched the soil of Dhanushkodi at 4.25 pm on Tuesday with the fading sun in the background, it was a moment of joy for the Keralite.Though the dream of becoming the fastest swimmer to cross the 31-km-long Palk Strait could not be fulfilled due to bad weather and technical snag with the route mapping devices, he still etched his name in the annals of history becoming the first Keralite to achieve the feat.The adventurous journey was kicked-off from the coast of Thalaimannar at 1.55 am on Tuesday.In the first hour itself Muraleedharan crossed 4 km and evoked a feeling that he would improve the existing record of 12 hours and 31 minutes set by Andhra Pradesh ADGP Rajeev Thrivedi seven years ago. But his hopes were shattered when the sea turned rough and he was pushed back several times by violent waves.The arduous escapade ended at 4.23 pm, when he swam to Dhanushkodi, the southern-most tip of the land mass. Meanwhile, he had covered an extra distance of 10 km and ended his performance with a timing of 14 hours and 23 minutes. Muraleedharan was accompanied by the Navy and Coast Guard officials in separate vessels.The seemingly unperturbed swimmer after his performance said that his show was a salute to the friendly relationship between the two neighbouring nations. “Sri Lankan officials received us with respect and love. We were provided with food and essentials by them. Traditional fishermen also chipped in with indigenous technique to assess the direction and might of the waves,” the swimmer, who was visibly shaken by the cold-shoulder given by Kerala, said.Muraleedharan will move to USA in June to swim across Catalene Strait.
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