- Pune-based swimmer, Sampanna Ramesh Shelar has become the fastest Indian in the Under-21 group to swim across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu in 5 hours 30 minutes. The previous record was 8 hours 26 minutes.
- On 15 March, his swim started at 6 am from Talaimannar and reached Dhanushkodiat at 11.26 am, covering a distance of 29 kms.
- He is a student of Bachelor of Physical Education and trains under the guidance of Mr. Jitendra Khasnis.
- With this achievement, Mr. Shelar plans to swim solo across the English and Catalina channels soon, popularly known as the Oceans Seven Challenge, to eventually complete swimming across the Seven Oceans.
