THENI: An Indian team of swimmers crossed the English Channel at the Samphire Hoe Beach in England on July 19 -- an achievement all the more special for Tamil Nadu as one of the six members NA Snehan (15), a Class 10 student, hails from the Theni district. The team completed the 72-km two-way swimming relay from England to France and back to England in 31 hours and 29 minutes.
The Indian team consisted of six swimmers from different parts of the country -- Elvis Ali Hazarika (Assam), Rimo Saha (West Bengal), NA Snehan (Theni, Tamil Nadu), Satendra Singh (Madhya Pradesh), Sivakumar Kusnoor (Telugana), and Jayanth Duble(Maharashtra). A student of Shanthi Niketan Public School in Theni, Snehan has been training in swimming at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) in the district. SDAT swimming coach M Vijayakumar (55) from Theni, who trained the Indian team, was accommodated with the Indian team for the event.
Speaking to TNIE, swimmer Snehan said he has been trained under the guidance of coach M Vijayakumar for the past eight years. "I used to practice a total of five hours in a day -- two hours in the morning and two in the evening. During weekends, the coach used to give me practice sessions in the Vaigai dam and Kumuli area where the Mulla Periyar dam water flows through, which allowed me to swim long distances," he said, adding that he would like to cross seven channels across the globe.
Snehan, who has won in district, state, and national-level competitions every year, said he crossed the North Channel in March 2022, followed by the Palk Strait and now the English Channel. Very soon, I will cross the remaining channels, and would like to win an Olympic medal for India, Snehan said.
He further stated that crossing the English Channel was very challenging for him. "While swimming, you need to brave encounters with marine wildlife, including jellyfish, dolphins, and seals swimming in the water. There were heavy currents because of the tides, and choppy weather. But all thanks to the continuous practice given by my coach Vijayakumar, I was able to dedicate myself to making my dream come true," Snehan said, adding that he is proud of his achievement.
Speaking to TNIE, SDAT coach M Vijayakumar said Snehan underwent two years of training ahead of this achievement. "It is purely an adventurous sport, and SDAT gave him permission to participate in this event. At least 15 days before the event, the Indian team went to England to get acclimated to the colder weather conditions. Between India and England, there's a difference in the seawater temperatures by at least 15 degrees. Earlier, Kutraleeswaran from Tamil Nadu crossed the English channel. And now, Snehan has crossed the English channel," he said with pride.