GUWAHATI: After a valiant attempt to cross the English Channel last year and nearly making it, former international swimmer from Assam, Elvis Ali Hazarika has his eyes firmly set on swimming across Catalina Channel in the United States, come August this year.
Hazarika, who swam 29km of the 34km English Channel in June last year, has been invited by the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation in Southern California for the 20-mile swim to the shores of Mexico.
“We will start the swim at 11pm on August 14, 2019 and finish by noon next day. Crossing Catalina Channel, which is known for its sharks and dolphins, will be as challenging as the English Channel, which has freezing cold water,” the 35-year-old told The Shillong Times here on Saturday.
Another swimmer, Rimo Saha from West Bengal, will accompany him in what will be a relay between the swimmers. The duo will be given a particular time period and distance to complete the task.
The swim will begin at Santa Catalina Island and end at Rancho Palos Verdes.
Hazarika plans to swim for 11 hours at a stretch and Rimo about four hours to accomplish the challenge.
“I will dedicate my attempt to cross the Catalina Channel to Abhijeet Nath and Nilotpal Das who lost their lives in a tragic incident last year,” Hazarika, who will be leaving for the US on August 6, said.
The cost of the endeavour would be about Rs 6lakh even as Hazarika awaits sponsors to add cushion to fulfill one of his dream missions.
On his preparations, the ace swimmer who had bagged as many as 68 national and six international gold medals, said he would start his practice in Bengal (Ganges River) from next month.
“I have been regularly working out here (for physical fitness). But in May, I shall be leaving from Kolkata for my training in the Ganges there,” he said.