|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How Brojen Das Did It? Morning News, Karachi , August 29, 1958.
Brojen plans return swim. Dawn,
Karachi, September 2, 1958.
The Asian Games Cinderella. Dawn,
Karachi, January 4, 1959.
What it means to swim the channel. Morning
News, Karachi, August 8, 1960.
Brojen Swim Channel for 5 th Time. Morning
News, Karachi, September 11, 1961.
Brojen Das in Karachi. Observer, Karachi.
November 23, 1961.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Morning News, Karachi 29 August 1958
How Brojen Das Did It?
By Yehia Syed (Our London Correspondent)
|
Dawn 2 September 1958
|
|
Brojen Das plans return swim
London, Sept 1: Brojen Das of Pakistan, who came second in
the last week’s International Cross-Channel swimming race from France to
Britain, has decided to attempt a return swim from Britain to France this
month. He told a London Press correspondent that he would most probably make
the attempt on Sept 22.
“ I am
waiting for permission from Pakistan’s Cross Channel Committee before
completing final arrangements.”
The return swim would start from St. Margaret’s
Bay, five miles north-east of Dover, and end some 22 miles across the English
Channel in the Cape Griz-Nez area of the French coast. Variable tides,
however, can double the distance to be swum.
“I have
been in the sea again this week to relax my body,” Das said, “but I will not
do any more swimming for another three or four days. I feel fit enough
already to make the return crossing.”
If successful, Das will be the first man to swim
the Channel both ways in the same year.
This was Brojen’s pilot boat, fitted with a small transmitter
and with a small transmitter and with arrangement for hot and cold milk,
fruit juice and other food for swimmers. Ahead of this motorboat, there was
another small boat, which followed Brojen only a few feet away from him. From
this boat orange juice and glucose tablets were-handed over to Brojen.
BROJEN
MAKES IT
It was five minutes past five. The Dover sky had cleared and the
sun had come up. I saw Brojen dragging himself on to the shore at the bottom
of the white Dover cliff. He had made it.
He was immediately picked up and transferred into the bigger
boat. Brojen was the first man to touch the shore. There was loud shore.
There was loud cheering at the “Press Room”, I was told later, when the news
was announced.
I talked to Brojen when he was tired and all cramped. He told me
that he had felt sea sick three times and had cramps twice. He also felt
dizzy couple of times. He only wanted to rest for full two days. He even
could not talk properly.
His manager Mr. Mohsin told me later that at 4.30 a.m. they had
lost contact with Brojen for few minutes in the dark; but soon he was found.
Brojen Das has stamina to stay in water for 48 hours, but not
in the cold water as the Cannel was that day. Brojan told me that after just
a few minutes he became so immune to the coldness of the water that it didn’t
bother him at all. He practiced here at Dover for the race only 2 to 3 hours
a day. Once a week, he used to swim for about 5 hours.
TURK
DISQUALIFIED
When I was returning to the
shore after seeing Brojen, I saw Turkey’s Ismen getting into the mouth of the
Dover Harbor. People from his boat were shouting to him to change course. He
was struggling against the tide. I later learnt that Ismen was disqualified
as he climbed the steps of the eastern wall of the harbor instead of
continuing half a mile to the beach.
|
|
London , (By airmail):
“Pakistan
Zindabad” Brojen Das Zindabad shouted over a dozen people in my motor boat
when we saw Brojen Das exhausted and tired after swimming for 14 hours and 25
minutes, struggling hard to touch the white cliff of Dover just outside Dover
Harbor.
My motorboat, given me by the organizer
of the cross-Channel swimming race, Messrs Butlin Holiday Ltd., was only 25
yards from Brojen Das. I saw him digging his hand into the sand and
collecting a fistful and then dragging himself to the shore.
Then he was helped by the men who were
followed him since five rest 2 on Saturday morning from Griz – Nez. It was
from here on the French coast that the race had started 14 hours and 25
minutes ago.
From the place where Brojen touched at
Dover, a sheer, 500 feet white cliff rose from the sea like a mighty wall.
On the top of the cliff, I could see tiny dots,
holiday-makers waving their hands. That was only genuine welcome Brojen got
from sports minded Britons.
When the wireless ship
‘Britannia,’ watching the progress of each of the 30 competitors called out
that Brojen is half a mile from the shore, an announcement was made at the
lounge of Coach Hotel where the press was lodged to cover the race, that for
reporters and cameramen covering the race, a motor boat is awaiting to
receive Brojen Das.
All the English reporters declined to go and meet him I
was the only pressman to go with the officials’ party. The same attitude was
reflected in the TV and radio and news – papers reports the next day.
Nowhere a mention was made in the Press here that Brojen
Das was the first man to complete the race. He was dismissed in just few
words! This was the attitude of the British Press.
If Brojen was from this country and won as he did, I can
imagine him being splashed all over the front pages of the paper over here.
But Brojen was a Pakistani and he beat the English contestant, Ronald Tarr,
(21) by full 47 minutes. Begad, Sir, Col. Blimp was blushing.
I reached Dover harbor at 15 pm. from London to cover the
race. At the headquarters which was located in a glass and wood hotel just
across the pier, the organizers had fitted in a wireless transmitter by which the “Press Room” was in constant
touch with wireless ship in the Channel following the minute-to –minute
progress of each of the 30 participants. 16 countries participated the race.
When I reached the pressroom, I saw on the chart that
there were still 24 swimmers in the race struggling hard to get to the Dover
shore. Six had given up due to various reasons.
Brojen Das was making fine progress, I was told. On
reaching the Press Room, I requested, over the wireless transmitter,
‘Britannia’ to give me some latest news about Brojen Das.
PAKISTAN & TURKEY
‘Britannia’
(this was not the same ship which is used by the Queen on her tours) obliged
me. Brojen Das, she told me, was three miles off the coast of England. He was
in high spirit and his progress till then was very good. Britannia also told
me that No. 25 (each swimmer went with a number and that number was plotted
in a chart kept in the “Press Room” showing minute to minute, but
approximately positioning of each swimmer along with the position of
|
the wireless ships, of which there were three in all.
Brojen Das’ No. was 19) that was Haldun Ismen of Turkey and Brojen Das No. 19
were having a neck and neck race. And as it is likely they might finish
together or close enough. The two tiny flags – No. 25 and 19 – were plotted
on the map of the Press Room very close some three miles from the Dover
coast.
THE GIRL, MAKES IT
I cabled my first “take” of the “Morning News” soon after
suggesting that Brojen Das might “make it” after all.
By two-thirty there was fresh activity in the Press Room.
21 out of 30 swimmers had dropped out due to various reasons, mostly due to
sheer exhaustion.
Out of the 30 only
one, Miss Greta Anderson, aged 31 of the United States, had touched the Dover
shore at South Foreland. She did it for the second year in succession,
cutting one hour 41 minutes from the existing women’s record. Her time was 11
hours one minute.
While the British Press swarmed round exhausted, greased
and goggled Miss Anderson and watched her receiving 1000 guineas trophy for
being the first to land and to get ₤500 for being the first women to
reach Dover shore, I got busy with Brojen’s progress. Only eight were in the
water by then. Brojen and Ismen of Turkey were the only two swimmers that
mattered then. The rest reported, “missing”.
BROJEN
INCHES FORWARD
At 3 pm. each afternoon the tide turns near Dover. And it
is difficult to swim across the current. Competitors who had by now dropped
out of the race had all assembled into the Press Room listening to the
“progress report”, transmitted by ‘Britannia’. The general opinion was that
if Brojen can cut across the current, he would make it, otherwise he would be
swept away by the strong English Channel current. This was the most exciting
moment in the race. Everybody had forgotten all the rest - 4 by now – excluding
Brojen and Ismen.
Brojen Das, though tired, hungry and exhausted inched his way
against the strong currents towards the English shore, ‘Britannia’
transmitted.
Brojen Das’ two good Bharati friends, Mehir Sen,
Bar-at-Law who couldn’t complete the race in three attempts, and Mr. Mitra
were as eager to see him win as I was. I must say that Mr. Sen showed a sportsman’s spirit in sinking all
national rivalry and feeling as if he himself was participating in the race.
Minutes seemed to drag on. The atmosphere in the room was tense
and expectant. Nobody spoke anything, though the room was overcrowded. Only
the muffled blaring of the transmitted voice from ‘Britannia,’ giving the
minute to minute progress of No. 19 Brojen Das, filled the hushed room.
ONLY
HALF A MILE
The silence was broken when
‘Britannia’ announced: “Brojen Das is only half a mile now from the Dover
coast, arrange to receive him at the shore should now be made. He is expected
to touch shore outside Dover harbor on the left side of the pier. Will give
you exact place of landing late. Over….”
An announcement went over the
loudspeaker for reporters and cameramen who wished to go on the motor launch
to receive Brojen Das, Nobody came forward except me. Along with a dozen
fellows, not pressmen, I got into the motorboat and speeded towards
struggling Brojen Das.
PAKISTANI FLAG
When the swimmers were within a mile of the shore they were
kept in touch with helicopters, which flew sorties of movie cameramen and
others.
Within five minutes we saw a
Pakistani flag fluttering from a small motorboat slowly ahead of us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DAWN Karachi
4 January 1959
Some minutes with Brojen
Das
The Asian Games Cinderella
By Izharul Hasan Burney
|
It was a fateful October evening when a dejected dark
complexioned young man burst into tears as he helplessly saw the last of his
ambitious structures of pride swept away. A keen swimmer was left out of the
Pakistan team, which participated in the Tokyo Games.
This was 27-years-old Brojen Das who 10 months after this
fateful evening became Pakistan’s national hero by winning the English
Channel first prize (Men’s) on Aug 23 last year – and the honor of being the
first ever Asian to accomplish this feat in his maiden attempt.
“Sheer disappointment at my exclusion from the swimming teams
which represent Pakistan first at Melbourne Olympics (1956) and then at Tokyo
Games (1958) infused in me the determination to attempt Channel (crossing),”
told Brojen to his admirers on his return from England.
Only a week earlier when the Asian Games team was selected he
had swum 60 miles in the Dacca swimming pool on Aug 17 that year in 15 hrs 28
minutes; while previously he had pocketed several other honors including
those in competitions across the border.
“And yet when I was refused a place in the Pakistan contingent
for the Asian Games, I lost nerves and could not help weeping as I
unsuccessfully appealed to people for justice,” he told those who went to see
him in the Hotel Metropole where he stayed on return from his first
successful trip abroad. “For a moment,” Brojen said, “I thought I should
abandon that all…. Then some unexplained inspiration advocated: Why not
attempt the Channel,” he added.
First Experience
Born in 1931 in village Bikrampur, Dacca district, Brojen is
the youngest of his one brother and a sister; his father running a small
business.
Brojen became water-crazy when still a codling. It was at the
age of four, he told me, when he first dived into water, accidentally though. “We had a water-crazy servant,
one fine morning in cloudy weather he took me along to the tank behind the
cottage and got busy with his sport. A little later, however, he left me with
the tackle as he was recalled by someone in the house.”
“A big fish was trapped, She jumped up and down into the water
to escape. A big tussle ensued as I refused to abandon the tackle. But the
fish was bigger enough to drag me into the tank water coming upto my waist.”
Brojen continued. “ And though crying for help,” he went on “I refused to
give up. Mother rushed up to me and rescued. Of course with the fish, he
smiled replied to my query. This was
the beginning of Brojen’s career as a swimmer for he has been so far been in
the water for over 4,000 hours covering not less than a thousand miles. “It
should be in four figures,” he told me.
First Contest
Brojen attempted his long distance swimming when he competed
in the Ganges crossing competition, from Hoogli to Bagh Bazar a distance of
about seven miles, in 1954. Even a third position in this first attempt was
no joke, for he had finished ahead of several favorites.
The period between 1953 and 1956 is full
of Brojen’s record smashing performances when he represented Dacca University
in the Inter-University Swimming Championships. East Pakistan in the National
Championship and Dacca in East Pakistan championships.
|
The Pakistan High
Commissioner gave reception on Sept 8 1958 for Brojen Das the Pakistani
swimmer who came second in the Butlin cross-Channel swim. Photo shows (L to
R) Brojen Das, the High Commissioner for Pakistan in UK, and Mr. Mohsin,
manager of the swimmer.
|
In the 1953 National
Championship at Lahore he finished second in 100 meters, stood first in 200,
400 and 1500 meters in 1954 East Pakistan Championships and bettered national
record in 100 meters clocking 1: 06 minutes in Pakistan Championships at
Dacca next year, besides taking first place in 400 meters free style.
Representing Dacca University in Inter-University meet at “PNS
Dilawar” in 1956 he went on to smash
all previous records in 100 yards, 400 and 1500 yards freestyle with a timing
of 59 secs, 4: 55.5 and 19: 55 mts, respectively, to help Dacca University to
claim the title for the first time since independence. In additions, he also
set up a new provincial record the same year in 200 meters (2: 30 mts) and
also finished first in 400 meters freestyle.
Training
So when he fell out of the Pakistan contingent, Brojen sought
assistance from Mr. S. A. Mohsin to guide him for the Channel crossing. I
told him (Brojen) tanks are not rivers, and rivers are not the Channel. It
requires hard work endurance, patience – everything that is not easy,” Mohsin
said as Brojen looked at. The Channel Crossing Committee was formed soon
after and Brojen took up the necessary training.
He swam 26 miles in 15 hours 28 minutes on Aug 16, 1957, and
about 60 miles in 48 hours, two months later, in the Dacca swimming pool. On
March 28 last year he undertook the crossing of five East Pakistan rivers –
the Shitalakha, the Burhi Ganga, the Dholyshwari the Padma and the Meghna –
all in spate, a distance of about 43 miles. He almost did it. But when only
two miles from his destination Chandpur, Brojen was persuaded by a select
gatheringss, including the former East Pakistan Chief Minister, Mr. Ataur
Rehman Khan, to abandon the bid as the escort boats had overturned in the
storm. Soon after reaching London on
May 30, Brojen shifted to Dover and resumed practice in Channel’s chilly
waters. And then he contested the Capri-Naples 33-kilometer race in Italy on
July 27 and struck his first success overseas by finishing third in 13 hours
8 minutes. “This provided me with a wonderful experience,” Brojen said – and
‘the confidence he badly needed before plunging for the Channel crossing,”
manager Mohsin added.
Five days before the race Brojen met his first bad luck. He had
got a cramp, doctors advised him to keep out: but he quickly recovered and in
the meantime the 24-hour postponement in the start of the race, gave him
further time to fully recuperate.
Race Starts On Saturday, Aug 23, at 2-30 a.m. in the shadow of darkness the
race started. Brojen took a commanding position right from the start and
raced neck and neck with the US and Turkish
competitors.
Then at the end of the first lap the escort boat crashed. He
was pushed 45 minutes behind Ms Greta Anderson who was followed by the Turk,
and wasted more time and stamina struggling against the stream of which Greta
escaped.
|
Brojen’s pilot, 55-years-old Captain Hatchingson, saw the far
ahead Turk abandoning, sensed the trouble tides and diverted his swimmers to
another though longer route. Brojen had escaped disaster, which had overtaken
the Turk. Greta was miles ahead of the
Pakistani and finished in favorable conditions with effortless ease. But not
Brojen, who now also suffered from cramps for second time. Nevertheless he
continued and proceeded at snails speed as the tide continued to push him deep.
When only
50 yards away the strongest tide swept him into the sea again. “I nearly
collapsed. I was very tired……helpless. “I would not give up…..let people take
me out collapsed….I would not abandon myself.”
Triumph
The Channel was crossed. He touched the sand but never knew he
had done it. He had collapsed after all.
Brojen did not believe at first when he told while taking a
hot-water bath of his winning the 500 pounds cash prize for winning the race.
Then he exclaimed: “Thanks God. It is all due to him and the good wishes of
my countrymen”.
A word about Captain Hatchingson whom Brojen classed among one
of the best pilots Britan had produced. For Hatchingson it was the first
occasion that his swimmer had won. Consequently he has become one of the most
sought-for pilot in England.
He has already received many offers for next year’s
competition. But Captain Hatchingson has preferred to go with Brojen even for
a small remuneration when he competes again this year.
Though Brojen did not get a fair coverage in the British Press,
he in keeping with the Pakistani tradition did not grudge making his humble
contribution towards the Journalists’ welfare Fund of Great Britain.
When he brought a Hillman out of the
500-pound cash prize the automakers wanted to use his photograph for
publicity in return for a reasonable money. Brojen asked the makers to
contribute that amount to the said welfare fund. |
|
|
|
Morning
News, Karachi, 8 August 1960
WHAT IT MEANS TO SWIM THE CHANNEL?
|
By YEHIA
SYED
London
|
his rash remark back. For swimming in the Channel is no
hoax. It requires grit, stamina, determination and something more, call it
patriotism or what you will, much more and in far greater degree than playing
hockey!
A faint twinkling light in the darkness
of nothing came upon the horizon. That was Cap Griz-Nez, where Brojen Das
along with the Secretary Channel Swimming Mr. J. U. Wood was waiting for us.
We anchored away from shore.
An anchored boat is more unstable than when it’s moving, lying
on the deck, as I couldn’t stand up at all, I could see that tiny light on
the French coast disappearing as my boat rocked from side to side. A wind had
started by that time, quite strong wind and we were in the mid of a current
found on the French coast.
A small dingy was lowered and it was a feat, which I couldn’t
do, to keep it level with our rocking and rolling boat for Manager Mohammad
Ali with all his stuff, Cameraman Woldrof to get into, they managed without
being thrown into the water.
Then we waited patiently. It seemed like hours. The only sign
of life was the flickering light in the dark of nothingness. I closed my
eyes. It was beginning to get very chilly and in spite of two socks and two
overcoats and a scarf round my ears and over my head I felt cold.
I opened my eyes when I heard shouts coming out of nothingness.
Even that tiny light on the shore had gone. It was our dingy, I was told,
coming back. “Where is the swimmer?” we shouted back to make us heard above
the roar of the waves and howling wind. No answer came back Only a flash of a
torch. The dingy inched its way riding on the mighty waves. We pulled the
people overboard. The first to come in was Brojen Das!
Hurriedly he explained that due to the gale, which had started
blowing, quite suddenly, soon after midnight, he was advised to give up the
swim. He explained that it was not a question of just crossing the Channel,
which he would have done; it was for breaking the 10 hours 50 minutes record
that he was after. Better luck next time.
BACK JOURNEY
The back journey, as always, was boring,
very uncomfortable more because of the cold and icy wind. More and more of us
(thank God I was saved) were sea-sick and lay exhausted, wrapped into
blankets on the open deck of the rocking boat. Mohammad Ali all the way acted
a Nightingale in spite of the gale that raged around us. By 3 a.m. we were
back into the harbor, which was dead as the night and the stillness only
broken by the frustrating shrieks of the sea gulls!
|
“Channel swimming has
become a hoax” said a colleague of mine toying with his glass filled with
sherry, “ and to crown all is the Pakistani team which is here” I looked
first at him amazed, then at the glass he was holding. For he himself, in his
time, was a hokey player of Olympics status and had represented his country
at Olympics a few times.
|
I would have forgiven my colleague and forgotten his
rather rash remarks putting the blame on that glass had I not the misfortune
on the night of July 26th to be in an extremely rocking, shaking
and rolling fishing vessel in mid-channel at midnight. I was on the supply
launch “Fair Chance” (piloted by Capt. Reed) which was to act as Brojen Das’s
pilot that night when he was to set out from French coast to break the world
record for the Channel swim from that end of 10 hours and 50 minutes set up
in 1950 by an Egyptian Abdel Hekim.
Before I left my Fleet Street office the same afternoon had
taken the weather forecast from the weather office in London operating in the
Strait of Dover that night. The report was that it is going to be fine and I
had merrily booked a ticket for Dover
Priory and was of full excitement to watch and see for myself how a channel
swim is done. I had no idea I was in for a shock not to mention the
excitement!
On the launch with me were two prospective channel swimmer, one
was Ahsanullah from East Pakistan making his first trip across the channel to
get the “feel “ of the channel, one British girl swimmer who has swam the
channel thrice before in Butlin’s Race, a representative of British Movietone
complete with camera and flares to preserve the record-breaking swim for
posterity, Brojen’s Manager Mohammad Ali (perhaps the most thorough ’quarter
master’ I’ve seen) and one official observer from Channel Association.
The moment we left the cloistered clam of the Dover harbor and
came into the Channel none of us, except the boat hands could keep standing
on the deck. We could only sit on the deck (with no covers on) and crawled if
we wanted to move about. At first I enjoyed the situation thinking it to be
extremely funny! But the fun part soon gave way to apprehension and ever
fears, when the light fishing boat started rocking like a flimsy crock on the
tidal waves of the open Channel.
With the rocking people started feeling sick. Even the entire
lot of sea-sickness tablets which ‘quarter master’ Mohammad Ali had brought
in three plentiful lots could not stop it. It was agonizing to see people, even
the swimmers getting sick from the very pit of their stomach. I do not know
how I escaped this misery and torture. I felt fine and even would have
enjoyed the sun set scene from the mid - Channel if I was not so scared of
being blown off the deck into the sea! I do not know to swim even in a
swimming pool.
INKY DARKNESS
As night fell, an inky darkness engulfed
|
our
lone boat. The only light we
could see were from the big cargo boats peddling their way to French Coast,
to Holland, or to North Sea. The tiny green and red light on the either side
of our fishing boat, which was swinging like a swing in a play ground looked
like a rear lights in a distant car! A few stars could manage to shine their
way through the huge dark chunks of threatening clouds. They would have
looked very romantic had I been not in a boat, which was like a feather on
the waves.
Ahsanullah started to sing Bhatiali, Nag (from India) joined. I
tried to keep the beat from them. A huge tidal wave struck the side of our
boat , and we were soaked to the skin. No body, after that dared to open his
mouth!
“Eh! Scared?” Asked the captain
of the boat in a near yell voice to keep it audible above the roar of the
waves and winds from his cabin, “oh! This is nothing compared to what we had
last year when Brojen took part in Butlin’s Race. Oh! A few of the boats then
capsized, some of us were pulled out of water soaked to the skin. This is just a child’s play.”
His sentence was drowned in the
noise of a huge wave that leaped at our small boat from the side. The Captain
concentrated on his wheel as our “Fair Chance” rode on the top of the serf
like straw. I was drenched badly this time and I realized that the water is
very cold. It was 61 deg F that night. During his practice swim Brojen had
complained to me that this year the Channel water is much colder than it was
in the same month either in 1958 or ’59.
SHEER MADNESS
PERHAPS this wave proved too much for the patience of one of
the patience of one of the prospective channel swimmer who was with me that
night. He shouted in nervousness: “Swimming in condition like this? It’s
nothing but sheer madness!”
In the dim light of our boat which acted as a guide to other
vessels in the Channel. I saw the face of the Captain and that British girl
swimmer, three times winner in Butlin’s Race wrinkled into a smile. I caught
the girl’s lips saying: ‘Chicken!’.
Not long ago, I thought, Dr. Roger
Baddister, the first man in the world to run the mile in under four minutes,
while addressing a gathering of Doctors at a British Medical Association
meeting had said that a normal human being can only stay in the Channel
waters for just FIVE hours. Those, he had said, who can and do stay longer
than that, give a practical proof of human endurance. Nothing else demand so
much of human endurance, as Channel swimming does he had said.
I wished my
colleague with the sherry glass would be with me now. I’m sure he would have
gladly taken
|
|
|
|
MORNING
NEWS Karachi September 11, 1961
BROJEN SWIMS CHANNEL FOR 5 TH TIME
From: YEHIA SYED
(Morning News Service)
|
London, Sept 10: Brojen
Das has done it again – the fifth time – thus creating an all time world
record, which will take some doing to break it, by swimming English Channel
yesterday morning in 11 hours 48 minutes.
He touched Kentish Cost at Langston Steps just outside Dover
harbor. He had entered the Channel on Friday night at Cap Gris Nez on the
French coast. Although Brojen failed to beat world record set up by an
Egyptian in 1950 by 58 minutes but in crossing Channel in 11 hours 48 minutes
he has not only bettered his own previous four timings from either side but
his latest timing is also fifth among best timings ever achieved by swimmer
in crossing Channel from either side including record timing of 10 hours 50
minutes.
Brojen by his five crossings since 1958, and without ever
failing or giving up once, has made even hard-hearted people here who do not
clap hard enough if non-Englishman does a thing to acknowledge this feat.
When Brojen was inching his way just after sunrise to reach shingled shore of
Kent I saw from boat, which had been crawling with Brojen since he started
the swim. A crowd of journalists watched him touch shore near the Dover
harbor wall.
|
The moment they saw him touch
shore they motored back to their office in Dover town and to announce the
news first was the BBC home service, which mentioned in full details the feat
of Brojen swimming channel five times in just five attempts. The BBC repeated
this item in all their morning bulletins.
And before his manager – Mohammed Ali, could degrease Brojen in
his hotel bathroom, BBC-TV cameramen were at bathroom door to take his film
for inclusion in the evening BBC-TV news. They filmed Brojen dressed in
pyjamas getting into his bed while his efficient manager Mohammed Ali handing
him glass of hot milk. Some photographs in his hotel bedroom for inclusion in
Sunday papers.
I have just returned to London after coming to Dover from Cap
Gris Nez in France. As I have covered all Brojen’s swims since 1958 up to
date and from his accompanying boat which carries official observer manager
and supply for swimmer. I can safely say that Friday night’s swimming
condition in which Brojen Das swam was ideal. Sea was calm as glass, there
was no wind practically and it was not very cold either. If Brojen was not
attacked with very severe sea-sickness not
|
once
but four times during swim he would have broken world record by at least 50
minutes, if not more. After each sickness his speed fell down and he wasted
time to regain his speed and rhythm. The night was clear and starry but very
dark and he swam most part of Channel in pitch darkness, which explains his
sea sickness.
Since the season started this year only six persons, including
three British girls one Spanish girl and one Indian swimmer, could succeed.
Brojen is sixth and his timing is the best of all. Not less than 12 swimmers
have uptill now failed
Brojen was too tired to talk to me before I left for London
but I will not be surprised if he decides to complete his half dozen time
swim of the Channel this season before returning home. In Dover, where he is
very well known, people have already started saying and the last man to tell
me this was my taxi driver who ran me down to Dover station that they were
convinced from the progress Brojen has shown in all his five crossing that he
will surely break world record in his sixth swim I had no heart to wake
Brojen up to confirm this before taking train to London. Dover people are
happy to hear of Brojen’s success.
|
|
|
|
Observer November 19 1961
|
Observer November 23 , 1961
|
The Morning News November 1961
|
Hero’s
Reception Awaits Brojen in Karachi
|
BROJEN DAS IN KARACHI
|
KSA
RECEPTION FOR BROJEN DAS
|
KARACHI, Nov 18: Pakistan Marathon swimmer, Brojen Das,
who created the English Channel swim record last month is due to arrive here
from Geneva by PIA in the small hours of November 22.
Brojen who now
holds two record of the English Channel left London this week and is at
present in Europe. He will board a PIA plane on November 21 from Geneva and
will reach Karachi at 4 a.m. on November 22. He will be accorded a hero’s
welcome by the various sports organizations of Karachi on his return home.
The Karachi
Sportsmen Association will hold a reception to felicitate brojen Das. A number
of other programmes have been chalked out for Brojen Das.
APP
|
Karachi Nov 22: Pakistan’s ace swimmer, Brojen Das
returned here in the small hours of this morning from England by PIA after
his record – breaking English Channel swim.
Talking to newsmen on arrival the champion swimmer of the
English Channel said “Whatever I have earned is due to the patronage of the
Government which has been sponsoring my trip to England for the Channel
swims”.
|
(By Our Sport Reporter)
The Karachi
swimming association yesterday gave a reception in honor of Pakistan’s
English Channel first prize (men’s) winner Brojen Das, at the Beach Luxury
Hotel.
Among those
attended the reception were: Mr. B. K. Das, central Minister for Education,
Khawaja Salahuddin Mahmood and Mr. Abdul Hafeez Kardar.
Speaking on the occasion, Brojen’s
manager, Mr. S. A. Mohsin said there was lot of undiscovered talent in this
country, and that it was the duty of the Government to provide facilities in
this direction.
Earlier, Prof. Anwar Chaudhury welcomed Mr. Brojen Das on
behalf of the Association. In his address of welcome he pointed out that it
was a matter of shame for all concerned that there was not a single swimming
pool in Karachi for use of the general public.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|