MADURAI: Six young athletes from Andhra Pradesh, including two girls, swam the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka on Friday in nine hours and 27 minutes. This is the first time a team has crossed Palk Strait as previously it was individuals who did it.They covered 18 nautical miles (30km) between Talaimannar in Sri Lanka and Dhanushkodi in India, regarded as a tough stretch.
The swimmers, Kola Baby Spandana, 19, Bontha Alamkruthi, 13, Kalavakollu Johnson, 16, Pidurusri Gowthama Pranav Rahul, 18, Kalavakollu King George, 16, and Terli Sathvik, 15, hail from Vijayawada, Guntur and East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. They undertook the feat after applying for permission from the external ministries of India and Sri Lanka.