GUWAHATI: Assam's ace swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika has become the first from the North East to cross the English Channel both ways.
Hazarika completed the 78 km distance to and fro, clocking a time of 31 hours by swimming in a relay from England's Hampshire to Calis in France and then back on Wednesday.
''I have been waiting for this day for a long time. After a lot of effort and hours of pushing myself to work harder, every day, I successfully have become the first Assamese (North East) to cross the English Channel two ways,'' Hazarika said in a tweet.
It is a dream come true and a proud moment for all Indians and Assamese people, he said.
''We had to go through a lot of challenges, especially the Jellyfish, Dolphins, Seals, Saltwater, heavy currents, choppy weather that were accompanying us all the way! Joi Aai Axom (Hail! Assam, my motherland),'' he said in the Twitter post.
Congratulating Hazarika, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it was a momentous triumph and immense pride for Assam.
''Heartiest congratulations to the trailblazing swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika for conquering the North Channel, etching his name in history as the first Assamese to achieve this remarkable feat! Your success is an inspiration to us all,'' Sarma said in a tweet.
Earlier Hazarika and his partner Rimo Saha of West Bengal had scripted history in September last year by becoming the first Indian as well as Asian relay team to cross the North Channel in Europe.
The duo also became the first swimmers from their respective states to successfully cross the North Channel, a strait between Northern Ireland and Scotland, in relay swimming in September last year.
Hazarika had become the first swimmer from Assam to cross the Catalina Channel in the US in 2019.