RAMESWARAM: The long-distance adventure swimmer S P Muraleedharan will kick start his marathon swim across Palk Strait from Talaimannar off the Sri Lankan coast on Tuesday around 1 a.m. The arduous task of crossing the Strait which separates Sri Lanka from India would conclude when Muraleedharan would touch the land of Dhanushkodi before midday. In a press briefing conducted hours before his scheduled swim, the 38- year- old swimmer from Cherthala appeared fully confident about the attempt . But he also acknowledged the possible threats he might face during the expected nine-hour swim. “The sea is quite rough and violent with imminent dangers like sea snakes and sharks. But I am confident that the six-month -long training would pay off ,” he said. Commander G V K Unnithan, the chief navigator to accompany the swimmer also had words of caution tinted in his voice. “Talaimannar is situated almost 32km from here. But owing to the rugged sea close to the shore , we have to start the event half a kilometer away from the coast of Talaimannar . We don’t have accurate readings of the direction and magnitude of the waves and currents. But we are trying to compile it by comparing the readings from Colombo, Mandapam and Tuticorin,” the retired Navy officer who worked for three years in the region said. The strategy as mentioned by the swimmer suggests that he would take his first stride between 12.30 a.m. and 1.30 a.m., when the water current is favourable. He is expected to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line by dawn and would reach Dhanushkodi by 10 a.m.
Comments
0 comment