Monique emerges fastest swimmer; Vedant best in boys

Hosts Khar Gymkhana’s Monique Gandhi,who is known more as a sprintqueen than a long distance swimmer,amply demonstrated that she is equally proficient in distance events as well. Not only that to show her endurance,stamina and mental fitness,she clocked the fastest timing (1:02:21.00 secs) in the 5000m event of the Khar Gymkhana’s 6th Open Marathon Swim Gala. It also fetched her Rs 10,000 as prize for being the fastest of the meet. This was another addition to her recent achievements. Monique had created new national marks in the 100m and 200m breast stroke events in the recently held National School Games at Panaji. Among the boys,it was Otters’ Vedant Rao,whose timing of 1:00.58.37 in the boys under-16 fetched him the best male swimmer of the meet. The event saw MCF’s Sudesh Tandlekar’s timing of 1:04.29.35 fetching him silver,while Jai Dhanani of Matunga Gym finishing third with 1:09.49.45 secs. However,Pronoy Adhikary’s 2006 record of 1:00.38.06 still stands as Vedant miss it by 00:20 secs. Ironically,the men’s and women’s events were rather lacklustre as policeman Shrikant Palande of Police Swimming Pool ,but for early challenge from CSMSS’ Mooni Deb Burman upto 1000m won the event by more than 200m in the end.