Teenager Rashmi plans to cross English Channel and back

Kolkata, Aug 30 (UNI) India's youngest Channel swimmer Rashmi Sharma, who last week abandoned her swimming mid-way to cross the English Channel to and fro from Dover, would make another attempt from England next year.

''I want to be the first Asian to cross the 34 km Channel from Dover in England to Calais in France and back,'' the 19-year-old IT student told reporters.

But on Saturday she had to abandon her effort mid-way and return to Dover from Calais in 13.05 hours due to bad weather, heavy current and fatigue.

The city teenager is the first youngest Indian to cross the English Channel at the age of 18 in less than 12 hours on July 19, 2006.

For long distance swimmer, the English Channel, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the islands of Great Britain from northern France, always posed challenge because of its location, heavy saline water, swelling waves with current and cold condition, says swimmer Masudur Rahman.

Rahman, whose two legs were cut off from thigh after an accident, swam the Channel in 1997 and the Gibraltar strait four years later, said Rashmi's latest feat was tremendous and hoped that she would make it as she has the potential to bring pride to India by becoming the first Asian to cross the Channel both ways at one go.

Earlier, Bula Choudhury conquered the strait of Dover in 1989.

Calcutta Sports Journalists Club was the first to felicitate Rashmi on her success to cross the Channel in consecutive year and for being the first teenager to achieve the feat.

She arrived here yesterday and told reporters that she had to abandon her swimming mid-way on return at 1255 am (IST) as weather condition deteriorated and the temperature dipped to 16 degrees Celcius.

Sharma's parents Vipen and Kiran, who were on a boat during her swimming at Dover, said they would support her endeavour to become the first Asian to cross the Channel.

Vipen Sharma said they had to cough up Rs 6.5 lakh last week and would support Rashmi to achive her goal. Mr Sharma, however, acknowledged that Taj Hotel had partly supported Rashmi's effort, and said they were looking for sponsorship for the 2008 attempt.

With scars on her cheeks and nose due to salinity of water and freezing cold, she said, ''I need a sponsor to support me and I am sure I would not dissappoint them in 2008.'' UNI