Howrah tea-seller, record-holding swimmer, is fighting to turn the tides

As the entire nation cheers athletes in the Tokyo Olympics, a 22-year-old record-holding swimmer in West Bengal waits for his destiny to take a better turn.

For Howrah-based Mukesh Gupta, spending time in water is an addiction. The self-taught swimmer holds the record for performing the highest number of non-stop river plunges in India. Mukesh works as a tea seller.

Mukesh honed his swimming techniques by watching videos of other athletes, as financial constraints prevented him from joining a training programme, he says.

In 2019, Mukesh had crossed the 16.1-km Bangla channel-from Teknaf Fisheries Jetty to Saint Martin's Island Jetty in Bangladesh in 4 hours and 8 minutes. Mukesh says not only did he have no one to train him, he also had to raise money for the attempt on his own.

Mukesh had learnt to swim in the Ganges. He says his first experience of crossing the channel was horrible, as he had never swum in the sea before. According to him, water temperatures are not the same everywhere and there's a high chance of catching hypothermia.

"I lost my way due to bad weather. I kept swimming in the wrong way for an hour. Later, when the weather cleared, I finally reached the destination," Mukesh told Indianexpress.com

The young swimmer had hoped that the feat would open doors to multiple opportunities. But in reality, none of that happened.

Mukesh's father worked in a factory, but ever since it closed down, his tea shop near Telkal Ghat is the only source of income for the family.

In early 2020, Mukesh swam from Howrah to Belur Math in protest against the CAA and NRC. This made headlines in newspapers, but again, no opportunity or support came his way, he claims.

Mukesh now wishes to cross the English Channel later this year or next year and earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. "If a sponsor is found," he adds.