Mangaluru prepares to host third edition of ‘Den Den’ intl sea swimming championship
_vb_59.jpeg)
Mangaluru: While swimming in pools is a familiar sport, swimming in the open sea is an adventure. Embracing this adventure, the Mangalore Surf Club is set to organise the third edition of its international sea swimming championship, ‘Den Den,’ on January 26 at Tannirbhavi Beach.
The championship, which has been conducted for the past two years, has witnessed growing participation with each edition. Preparations for the event are already underway, as the organisers expect a significant rise in the number of swimmers this year.
National-level swimmers from various parts of the country will take part in the competition, which will be held in the sea waters off Tannirbhavi Beach at Surf Club Beach (Tannirbhavi Beach-1).
Karthik Narayan, Secretary of the Mangalore Surf Club, said around 200 swimmers participated in the second edition last year, while nearly 400 competitors are expected to take part this year.
The club has already started preparations for the sporting event, with the championship pulling in a larger number of swimmers every year.
Olympian Gagan Ullal of the Mangalore Surf Club, who represented India at the London Olympics, is heading the technical committee for this year’s Den Den Swimming Competition.
Given that the event is being held in open sea waters, the Indian Coast Guard will extend its cooperation for security and safety measures, as in previous years. Along with trained lifeguards, the Coast Guard will be responsible for ensuring the safety of swimmers and preventing interference from fishing boats or other vessels during the competition.
Organisers said the Den Den Swim Campaign is conducted with a strong emphasis on sea safety and awareness.
The competition will be conducted with the main objective of ensuring the safety of sea water. It commences at 6.30 am and conclude at 9.30 am.
Highlighting the new additions this year, Karthik Narayan said that while last year’s event featured races of 500 metres, 2 km, 4 km and 6 km, an 8 km sea swim has been introduced in this edition.
He also noted that while three international swimmers participated last year, the organisers are expecting around 10 international swimmers to compete this time.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Three new cubs born to Cheetah Gamini in MP's Kuno Park; India's count rises to 38
Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Cheetah 'Gamini' has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of these big cats in India to 38, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.
Describing it as a "roaring" success of the government's ambitious Cheetah re-introduction programme, Yadav said it is a powerful symbol of the country’s determined and historic conservation effort.
Gamini was translocated to India from South Africa as part of the ambitious project launched in September 2022 to revive the population of the world's fastest land animal in India, which had gone extinct decades ago.
ALSO READ: Rs 640 crore cyber fraud: SC refuses anticipatory bail to CA in ED case
Yadav, in a post on X, said, “Kuno welcomes three new cubs - A roaring new chapter at Kuno on the occasion of completion of 3 years of arrival of cheetahs from South Africa. Celebrations echo through Kuno National Park as Gamini, the South African cheetah and second-time mother, has brought 3 new cubs into the world."
This joyful arrival marks the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil and takes the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 27, he said.
With these newest additions, India's total cheetah population has now reached 38 - a powerful symbol of the country's determined and historic conservation effort, Yadav highlighted.
Each birth strengthens the foundation of Project Cheetah and reflects the passion, perseverance, and round-the-clock dedication of the field staff and veterinary teams who have nurtured this dream into reality, he said.
"A moment of pride for Kuno, and for India—may Gamini and her three little sprinters grow strong and carry the nation’s cheetah revival story forward with speed and grace," the minister added.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav noted that Madhya Pradesh is a powerful centre for cheetah reintroduction.
This is a historic achievement for the entire country in the direction of wildlife conservation, biodiversity, and environmental balance, the CM said in a post on X.
It is a matter of immense joy that under Project Cheetah, the female cheetah ‘Gamini’ who arrived from South Africa has given birth to three cubs, he said.
"With the completion of three years of cheetahs’ arrival at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, this is the 9th successful birth (of a litter). The total number of cheetahs in India has now increased to 38," Yadav added.
Earlier this month, cheetah Aasha, translocated to India from Namibia, gave birth to five cubs in KNP.
