BENGALURU: The recently-concluded 11th edition of the Goa Swimathon featured a new location for open-water racing: Betalbatim beach in South Goa instead of Bambolim beach near Panjim, where it was held in the past editions. With over 700 swimmers participating, the event kicked off in an epic fashion and Bengaluru came out on top. With 50 podium finishes, more than any other participating city, the swimmers made their city proud.
“I have taken part in a few open-water races before, but only two were in Goa. Swimming in an open-water race is different from the ones in a pool. In the latter, it’s in freshwater and you’re aware of your surroundings. The flow of water in a pool is also stable whereas, in open water, it can get very choppy. You’re also constantly battling tides and currents. But that’s what makes it challenging. A swimmer who hasn’t swum in open water before will be surprised in many ways,” explains Shreyas Hosur, who participated in the 5km race.
But swimming in the open sea without great visibility in an ecosystem not predominantly inhabited by human beings, the event was not without its challenges. For Olympian and Arjuna-awardee Nisha Millet, this was her maiden open-water race but she ended up ranking first in the women’s category and second overall in the 5km marathon. “This was my first time racing in a sea. Karnataka has a few open-water events in Mangaluru and Malpe, among others. But more and more people are developing an interest in it post-Covid. As for me, I found it very challenging and satisfying, and am looking forward to attending open-water races. I might do one in Phuket, Thailand in December this year,” she says.
City-based swimmer Ravish Rao, who won the 2km race, believes if such events are replicated in more numbers in Karnataka, it will benefit the state. “Being part of the Goa Swimathon was fantastic with so many people participating in multiple races. I would suggest that such events should happen in our state also as I believe it will help promote tourism here. But the only thing to keep in mind when organising such events is to respect nature as it is us, swimmers, who are coming into their world and not the other
way around,” concludes Rao, a chartered account by profession.
Additionally, Elias Patel, who has been the race director of the Goa Swimathon since 2011, mentions that future editions of the event are on their way. “We actually changed the location after listening to all participants’ feedback as they were beginning to get bored of the same place and requested for a more ‘exciting one’. But the challenges of putting together an event of this magnitude in a new place included finding a location that was clear of rip currents, submerged rocks, sandbars and heavy marine traffic and yet, had easy connectivity to airports, railway lines and emergency facilities. But we are excited for the future renditions of this swimathon. We haven’t set a location yet but have a few options in consideration, including the recent one,” shares Patel.