Seven-year-old Ishank Singh from Ranchi has achieved a remarkable feat by swimming across the 29-km stretch of the Palk Strait.

Ishank completed the challenging route from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu on April 30, finishing the swim in around 9 hours and 50 minutes. He began his journey at 4 am and reached the shore by 1:50 pm.

The strait separates Tamil Nadu in India from Sri Lanka’s Jaffna region and connects the Bay of Bengal with the Gulf of Mannar.

Ishank has been declared by the Universal Records Forum as the ‘Youngest and Fastest Palk Strait Swimmer’ and and '2026 OWSAT World Record' by the Open Water Swimming Academy, Theni.

A Class 3 student of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamli- the alma mater of cricketer MS Dhoni- Ishank spent seven to eight hours in the water daily in the lead-up to this achievement.

After returning to Ranchi on Friday evening, Ishank’s mother Manisha told PTI, “He used to train in pools across Ranchi, but for the last six months, he shifted to open-water practice at Dhurwa Dam to prepare specifically for the Palk Strait.”

Ishank underwent rigorous training under his coach, Aman Kumar Jaiswal, and Bajrang Kumar.

"We first noticed his unusual stamina during a summer camp,” Jaiswal told PTI, adding, “With support from his parents, we began training him for this goal. The result is there for everyone to see.”

He added that the previous record was held by Tamil Nadu’s Jay Jaswanth.

The young swimmer has also received immense praise from Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who called this triumph ‘a remarkable example of discipline and unwavering dedication’.

And for the young achiever, the milestone marks just the beginning.

“I want to keep improving and achieve more. My dream is to complete a two-way swim across the Palk Strait,” Ishank said.