Two Friends Become First Malaysians to Complete 81km Gruelling Race in Ganges River
Each year millions of Hindus take a bath in India’s river Ganges during the Makar Sankranti festival on 14 January which is believed to cleanse them from sins. Instead of the usual plunge taken by devotees, two Malaysian friends have made history as the first Malaysians to complete one of the world’s longest swimming races spanning 81km.
The Ganges River, a transboundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh, is known as the holy river of Hinduism. However, untreated sewage dumped into the river, remnants of partially burned or unburned bodies from funeral pyres, and animal carcasses all contribute to polluting the Ganges.
As The Star reported, Chong Wee-Lii, Ng Choon Keith, and Mohd Zaimar Omar who belong to a swimming team, signed up for the 77th Open Water Long Distance Swimming Competition held in West Bengal, India on 3 September. However, Mohd Zaimar, a 46-year-old brand development manager, dropped out of the race after 40km (still an incredible feat) but has vowed to return next year.
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Mohd Zaimar Omar and Ng Choon Keith
Since 1943, the Murshidabad Swimming Association has organised the famed river swim which is open to both amateurs and professional swimmers. The event is held to great fanfare with a parade held two days prior to the announcement of the event, as well as rituals, activities, and ceremonies.
The men swam in the Bhagirathi River, a turbulent Himalayan River in the state of Uttarakhand and one of the two headstreams of Ganges. The men started at Jangipur and crossed the finish line at Berhampore in the state of Odissa after an arduous 12-hour swim.
39-year-old Ng, who is the CEO of a public listed company, emerged as no.11 in the race while 33-year-old Chong, a product manager for an agriculture tech company placed no.12. Chong shared that in the past, the trio competed in local water races in Sabah and Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu but decided to participate in this competition to challenge themselves.
Chong elaborated that the water was so murky that he could barely read the time on his watch. “Surprisingly, the water was odourless and tasteless, although it was heavily sedimented with all kinds of particles.
There were also carcasses of goats and cows in the river, which we passed as we swam. Then there were lots of aquatic plants and weeds floating along the way, too.”
“The rules of the race are that we are only allowed to take breaks in the water and stay afloat without clinging to any support. We had to be totally unassisted. Safety escorts on boats that tailed us would toss us some energy food like bananas and isotonic drinks every now and then. We were required to eat and drink in the river when we took breaks. It was exhausting, but to stay focused, I sang songs in my mind to divert the mental strain and kept on going,” Chong continued.
To prepare for the race, the trio had trained under Spanish swimming coach Jose Luis Larrossa Chorro, a two-time champion of the Indian race. For the past nine months, they practised between 15 and 18 hours, covering around 60km every week.
Image credit: The Star