A dream is a wish that the heart makes and when your heart wants something, you are bound to work night and day to fulfill it. If that means swimming across a dangerous stretch of 29km of ocean water to set a record, so be it.This feat was recently achieved by a 7-year-old boy from Jharkhand, Ishank Singh. On April 30, Singh became the youngest to swim across the Palk Strait which lies between India and Sri Lanka in a record time of 9 hours and 50 minutes.The strait is known for its challenging waterways due to strong currents, sea waves and unpredictable weather. However, Singh overcame the obstacles and swam between Talaimannar in Sri Lanka and Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu. He started his journey at 4 am and completed it at 1:50 pm.
Who is Ishank Singh?
Ishank Singh became the youngest to swim across the Palk Strait which lies between India and Sri Lanka.
Ishank Singh is a swimming prodigy from Dhurwa in Ranchi, Jharkhand. He studies at the DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali in class three. As per reports, he trained for four to five hours daily at the Dhurwa Dam in Ranchi under coaches Aman Kumar Jaiswal and Bajrang Kumar. He followed a strict plan to enhance stamina for the endurance swim.His school also praised his achievement, writing on social media posts “Proud Moment for Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Ranchi. We are delighted to share a truly historic achievement by our Class III student, Master Ishank Singh, a moment of immense pride for our entire school family.”
A warm welcome
As soon as he reached Rameswaram, he received a warm welcome from officials and supporters, celebrating his victory. Singh’s achievement was praised by Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who described the 7-year-old from Ranchi as a swimmer with “extraordinary talent.”“Ishank’s success is a remarkable example of discipline and unwavering dedication to his goal. He has brought pride not only to Jharkhand but to the entire country,” he wrote on X.The Universal Records Forum recognized Singh as the “youngest and fastest swimmer” to cross the Palk Strait. Previously, this record was held by Jay Jashwanth from Tamil Nadu, who completed the feat in 10 hours and 30 minutes at the age of 10 in 2019.
