GUWAHATI: In a historic feat, renowned natator Elvis Ali Hazarika has once again etched his name in the record books by becoming the first Assamese swimmer to complete a solo swim from the Elephanta Island Jetty to the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai.
Hazarika, already known for his remarkable aquatic achievements, faced numerous challenges during the solo swim, including navigating through large-sized fish and contending with numerous jellyfish.
“With a lot of hard work, I have finally become the first Assamese to successfully swim from Elephanta Island Jetty to the Gateway of India Arabian Sea (Solo Swim). It was a very difficult task as I swam along with pretty big-sized fish and a lot of jellyfish. It was extremely tiring, the swim, overall. This is a dream come true for me, and also the people of Assam,” the local press quoted Hazarika as saying after completing the swim.
Hazarika’s extraordinary achievement garnered attention and accolades from various quarters, with Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal extending his best wishes.
Taking to a social media platform, Sonowal wrote, “With each new effort, swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika sets new milestones of endurance and hard work. Congratulations on the successful solo swim from Elephanta Island Jetty to the Gateway of India in Mumbai. May you keep on breaking records and bring glory to the nation. My best wishes for your future endeavours.”
This recent triumph follows Hazarika’s previous notable accomplishments. In July, he became the first person from the Northeast to cross the English Channel both ways.
Hazarika covered the 78 km distance to and fro, clocking a remarkable time of 31 hours by swimming in a relay from England’s Hampshire to Calis in France and back.
In September 2022, Hazarika achieved another milestone by becoming the first person from Northeast and the oldest Indian to swim across the North Channel, a strait between northeastern Northern Ireland and southwestern Scotland.
