from our special correspondent camping in Gangolli (MB)
Gangolli/Kundapur, Apr 27: Dayananda Kharvi, a swimming expert from Bengre in Mangalore, after disappointing the media and the public for over a day, finally began his swimming saga at 11-45 am on Wednesday, April 26.
He aims at swimming a distance of 150 kilometres between Gangolli in the north to Mangalore towards south non-stop and set a record.
He embarked on his odyssey at the Panchagangavali estuary, where the river converges with the Arabian Sea. Konkan Kharvi Samaj Gangolli president Y Suresh Kharvi inaugurated the adventure journey. All Karnataka Konkan Kharvi Samaj former president Purushottam Arkati, TP member Surendra Kharvi, fisheries businessmen Shivappa Kharvi, M S K Sanjeeva Kharvi, Basava Kharvi and others who were present wished him well in his attempt. His friend Nagaraja Kharvi, also of Bengre, is giving him company in swimming.
They are being backed up by an escort party consisting of a mechanized boat and two manual boats, occupied by 15 well-wishers.
Delay, followed by disappointment?
Dayananda Kharvi was to begin his record-seeking adventure at 6 pm on April 25. Since the sea was rough, he went up to Malpe and stayed there overnight and returned to Gangolli the next day, he said in reply to mediapersons' queries.
Kharvi has the target of 150 kilometres but has no idea of nautical distance between Gangolli and Mangalore. At the same time, he has made no arrangements with any verification agency to qualify as a record even if he succeeds in this attempt.
That could be the saddest part of this episode, besides the adverse publicity earned because of the delay.