Elvis: Bound for Glory

Please Introduce Yourself

I am Elvis Ali Hazarika. My dad, late Elban Ali Hazarika, originally belonged to North Lakhimpur. My mom, Deepika Ali Hazarika hailed from Barpeta. However, I grew up in Guwahati, Bhorulumukh with my parents. I have been living here for 40 years. I was born on 21 July 1981.

Educational Background.

I passed my High School from Don Bosco, Guwahati in 1997. However, I didn't continue my studies further as I had to give more time to sports. I used to spend 7 to 8 months in camp. Therefore, when my parents finally asked if I would be continuing my studies or focusing on sports, I decided to go along with sports.

How and when did you start your journey as a swimmer?

I was 2.5 years old when I started swimming. There was a small lake near our locality called the Bhorulumkh Lake. The lake was very clean. Whenever my parents went to work, our maid used to take me out. I used to get excited on noticing water bodies and I had the urge to jump. Even when my parents used to bathe me, I used to close the hole through which the water passed in the bathroom. In that manner, I used to collect the water and make a pool. On noticing this constant urge, my parents took me to Dighalipukhuri one day. There was a coach at that time named Anuwar Rasul. I used to call him, "Mama" out of love. On the 10th day of my visit to Dighalipukhuri to swim, I managed to cross Dighalipukhuri. At that time, he asked my parents not to make me quit swimming. He stated that, I would do something one day. He also stated that no one had managed to cross the Dighalipukhuri just after 10 days of training. After that, swimming became a part of my routine. We didn't have swimming pools in our time and Dighalipukhuri is where I used to go. The BP Chaliha Swimming Pool at Nehru Stadium was established only in 1986.

At the age of four, I managed to cross the Joysagar. Prafulla Mahanta was the Chief Minister of Assam at that time. He called me to his office and showered me with love. He stated that as I have crossed Joysagar at the age of four, I would surely bring laurels for Assam one day.

Give us a glimpse of your career highlights

In 1989, I went to Bangalore to participate in the sub-junior category representing the Assam team. I received a silver medal and I was the first male swimmer from Assam to receive it. In 1990, I went to Kolkata and won four gold medals across various categories. After that, I was the National Champion for ten years consecutively. No state was able to beat me. I was establishing records during the prelims of these championships and went on to break my own records during the finals of the same.

From 1991, I started participating in international events. My first event was in Singapore, at the Asia Pacific Championship. I was nine years old at that time, and till date no other Indian swimmer below ten years has participated in the event. As I was just nine years old during the camping sessions at Bangalore, I was not comfortable staying away from my parents, especially my mom. The coach, Pradeep Kumar, who is currently the head coach of the Indian team, used to notice that and through federation took special permission to allow my mom to stay at a girl's hostel in the camp. After my practice, I used to spend time with my mom, and at night, I used to sleep with one of our senior's called Sebastian Xavier. I wore the Indian National blazer at a young age, and I cherish that experience.

The following year, that is in 1992, I went to China, where I won a gold, silver and a bronze medal. It was the first time when India won a gold medal at the Asian Championship. In 1993, I participated in Hong Kong. In 1994, at the Asia Pacific Championship held in Delhi, I won seven medals, out of which three were gold, two silver and two bronze. I was also an individual champion during that event, which also marked the first time that an Indian swimmer was an individual champion in an International event. In 1995 I went to Switzerland, Korea in 1996, and Malaysia in 1997 and so on.

In 1999, the South Asian Games was held in Nepal, where I won two golds, two silvers and two bronzes. That's how I was moving ahead in my career. In fact, I even qualified for the 2000 Olympics. However, I suffered from septicemia in 2000 because of which I spent almost 6 months in hospital and I couldn't managed to participate in the Olympics.

In the year 2009, I participated in the World Police Games in Kerala. That was the last sports event in which I participated. I won a silver and a bronze medal at that event.

I have established 22 national records in a my career which spanned. Moreover, the swimming completion timings, which I used to establish during various events, most of them stood unbeaten throughout the 20 yearspan of my career.

How many medals have you won in your entire career?

I have won a total of 128 gold medals in various state events, 134 gold medals in national events and 6 gold medals in international events throughout my career. I have won 12 silvers in state events, 43 silver medals in national events and 7 silver medals in international events. As for bronze, I won 15 in national events and 5 in international events.

How and when did you decide to start channel swimming?

I quit participating in sports events from 2010. I was idle until 2016 and I was losing my fitness too. I decided in the later part of 2016 that I couldn't just sit idle as people know me as a swimmer. That's when I thought that I should start swimming channels. I especially decided to go for channel swimming, as my name was selected for the Arjuna Award in the year 2000. However, due to some documentation complicacies I didn't receive the award. So, for the past few years I have been undertaking various channel swimming ventures, in order to be able to apply for a National Award.

Tell us about some of your channel-swimming experiences, especially the English Channel.

I crossed the Catalina Channel in America in 2019. In the month of September this year, I crossed the North Channel.

There are seven channels in the world. These include the North Channel, the Cook Straight, The Moloka'i Channel, the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the Tsugaru Strait and the Strait of Gibraltar. The English Channel is the most popular out of them. All the long-distance swimmers from the world mostly try their first channel-swimming attempt in the English Channel. I was the first Assamese to cover a distance of 29 km in 2018, although I couldn't complete the entire channel. I am thinking of re-attempting to cross the English Channel and this time I will go for a two-way coverage. I will swim from UK to France and then back to UK. If I manage to do it, I will be the first Indian to do a two-way coverage of the English Channel. However, I am not doing it individually, but rather in a relay format. The venture is going to be tougher than all other quests and I am tripling up my fitness routine for the same. Only then, I will manage to cover the two-way. When I return from France, the current of the water will be very strong. If I need around 14 hours while going, it might take me around 18 hours on the return journey.

Are there any breaks in between?

Actually, one needs to swim in intervals of three to four hours. However, I haven't received the time and distance for this year. It is to be noted that in a relay format, if one of the swimmers falls sick, the remaining swimmers have to cover his distance as well. If I am the only one who is not sick, I have to cover it all alone.

How was the experience with Catalina Channel?

Every channel provides a different experience. In 2019, the Catalina Channel was cold with a temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius. There were a lot of sea animals in the Catalina Channel like sharks, whales and sun fish. When I reached US and contacted the Catalina Channel Association, we had to sign agreements that we will be at our own risk against sharks and other threatening sea animals. However, it is to be noted that a shark doesn't attack on its own unless it smells blood. However, I was still scaredthroughout the journey. Luckily, I didn't come face to face with any shark. However, a big whale did pass by in one instance and I was asked to pause for a few minutes.

Do you undertake any safety measures before swimming in a channel?

We don't have any specific safety measures. We have to wear the normal swimming outfit, with normal cap and goggles. We apply Ocean Grease as a precaution against Jelly Fish. The North Channel had many Jelly Fish, and even the giant Lion Jellyfish. If a Jelly Fish stings, the pain can last for almost a year. Thus, we apply Ocean Grease. I did experience stings by Jelly Fish. The moment a Lion Jelly Fish comes in front of you is very scary. There are kayaks and boats, with crew from the associations and an observer who declares the completion of the swim.He rides beside us while we are swimming.

Award and Achievements

I have received some mementos and appreciative mentions by various associations and organisations off and on. However, I haven't received any specific notable award so far. I am hoping for a National Award, keeping in mind the contributions to the state and thus I have been undertaking various channel-swimming ventures. Presently, I am planning to apply for the Tenzing Norway Award, which is conferred for adventure sports.

What is your advice to young swimmers from the state? What is your view on the future of swimming in Assam?

The present swimmers from Assam have been performing extremely well. Sivangi, Astha Choudhury and other swimmers from the state are doing great. They are currently practicing in Delhi. I feel that there have been many changes in the present time. We didn't have much media coverage in our time. Now the media and government are there to back the sportspersons. I would like to thank the Government of Assam for the immense support that they have been offering to the sportspersons. For example, they are giving pension to the medal holders of the National Games, many of them are receiving jobs. Such opportunities didn't exist in our time. As a result, sportsperson back then used to face a lot of trouble in terms of livelihood. I just have one more desire for swimming in the state. It will be more beneficial if we have more swimming pools that are professional in the state. Swimming is gaining popularity, not only as a sport and many schools around the nation are making it a mandatory activity too. Even sportspersons who are into other sports practice swimming to keep themselves fit. There should be an Academy, which is a personal dream of mine. If possible, in the future I would like to establish such an Academy of training if I receive enough support from the concerning authorities.

Future Projects

I am planning to make the two-way attempt to cross the English Channel in July next year. In the month of December next year, I am planning to undertake a 1000 km swimming event. This event is meant to cover three states, starting from Gujarat to Goa to Mumbai. It is 15-day event, the first one of its kind. Three other swimmers from the nation will be accompanying me in this event. It is a continuous day and night event.

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