In a remarkable feat of endurance and determination, seven-year-old Ishank Singh from Jharkhand has etched his name in the record books by swimming across the challenging 29-km-wide Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka.

He completed the demanding stretch in about 9 hours and 50 minutes on Thursday, covering nearly 29-30 km in open waters.

With this accomplishment, Ishank has earned the title of the “Youngest and Fastest Palk Strait Swimmer” from the Universal Records Forum (URF World Records).

The previous benchmark was set by Tamil Nadu’s Jay Jaswanth, who had crossed the strait at the age of 10 in 2019, taking 10 hours and 30 minutes to complete the journey from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Rameswaram (Dhanushkodi) in India.

Congratulating the young swimmer, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren praised Ishank’s grit and discipline in a post on X. He described the achievement as extraordinary, noting that the young boy’s determination at such an early age serves as an inspiration.

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A Class III student of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali in Ranchi, Ishank has brought immense pride to his school and community. The school, in a statement shared on social media, hailed his achievement as a historic moment for the institution.

Principal BN Jha also expressed pride, calling it a significant honour for the school, Ranchi city, and the nation.

Family members revealed that Ishank underwent intense preparation, training for four to five hours daily at Dhurwa Dam in Ranchi. Under the expert guidance of his coaches, Aman Kumar Jaiswal and Bajrang Kumar, he honed his skills to accomplish the feat.

Describing the swim as a moment of national pride, his family said the achievement has elevated Jharkhand’s stature and upheld the honour of the country’s tricolour on the global stage.