Leading Aircraftman Roshan Abeysundara of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) says that set a new Asian record by swimming across the Palk Strait in just 28 hours, 19 minutes, and 43 seconds.

Early morning on Saturday (April 10), Abeysundara kicked off his record-breaking mission from the Talaimannar beach in Mannar.

He had been presented with a thermal swimming kit which would assist during his record-breaking attempt, by the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana.

Abeysundara’s mission commencing from the Talaimannar Beach will reach Dhanuskodi, Rameswaram in India and conclude once he swims back to the Talaimannar Beach.

The attempt of the 59.3-kilometer swim is estimated to conclude within a total time period of 35 hours.

Abeysundara kicked off from Talaimannar Beach at 0200 hours on Saturday and is expected to return to the same at 1300 hours on Sunday (April 11).

During his preparation for the event, Abeysundara renewed the National open water swimming record twice within a short time period. He created a new record by swimming a 25Km distance from Matara to Koggala on January 03 clocking a time of 10 hours and 37 minutes and went on to renew the record by swimming a distance of 49Km from Matara to Hikkaduwa and back to Unawatuna on February 27 with a timing of 23 hours and 10 minutes.

Abeysundara is a Level III swimming instructor affiliated with American Swimming Coaches Association and has undergone training from the legendary Julian Bolling.

He is an experienced lifeguard who has obtained the Level II standard from Sri Lanka Life Saving, the SLAF said further.

His passion for swimming has led him on the path of entering the Guinness World Record Book as he swims to renew V.S. Kumar Anandan’s 50-year-old record which was set in 1971 by swimming the Palk Strait in 51 hours.