70-year-old Khitindra Chandra Baishya sets out to make world record in swimming

Khitindra Chandra Baishya is still young despite being a 70-year old. He has retained youth not only in the mind but also in the body. The brave freedom fighter of 1971 also received Ekushey Padak.  Even at this age, he embarked on a mission to swim 285 km and set a new world record.

Khitindra Chandra Baishya started his 285 km swimming from Sylhet on Monday morning to set a world record. He started swimming from Chandnighat near Surma bridge point in the city.

He will reach Bhairab Ferighat in Kishoreganj after completing the 285 km swim. He thinks that it may take about 70 hours. If he can swim this distance, he will have a world record for continuous swimming.

Khitindra said swimming has been his addiction since his student days.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman honored him with a silver boat for swimming continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes at Dhaka University in 1974.

"I created a national record by swimming continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes at Dhaka University in 1974 and 108 hours and 5 minutes in 1976. In 2018, I swam a distance of 185 km which was another local record," he said.

He has been involved in long-distance or continuous swimming since the 1970s.

"My target this year is to swim 285 km. If I succeed, it will be a world record as the oldest swimmer," he said.

Khitindra was born on 23 May 1952 in Jahangirpur village of Madan upazila of Netrakona.

He graduated in Physics from MC College, Sylhet and completed his Master's degree in the same subject from Dhaka University.