After a gap of 37 years, two Bangladeshi swimmers—Nazmul Haque Himel and Mahfizur Rahman Sagar—have successfully crossed the English Channel. The duo completed the challenging swim on Tuesday, July 29, in 12 hours and 10 minutes.
They departed for London in early July to prepare for the feat, with plans for at least 10 days of intensive training in the UK. According to Bangladesh Swimming Federation`s General Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Shaheen, both athletes flew on the same flight from Dhaka to London.
Prior to this, only three swimmers from Bangladesh had ever completed the English Channel crossing. The first was Brojen Das, who not only became the first Asian to swim across the Channel but did so six times between 1958 and 1961. At the time, he also held the record for the fastest crossing.
Following him, Abdul Malek crossed the Channel in 1965, and Mosharraf Hossain achieved the feat in 1987.
The English Channel, with water temperatures ranging from 15 to 19 degrees Celsius, is known for its treacherous conditions, making it a daunting challenge even for seasoned swimmers. The successful crossing by Nazmul and Mahfizur marks a proud moment for Bangladesh`s sporting history.
