Mangalore: Sanketh and Tushanth - a Passion for Saving Lives
Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jul 24: There are many around us who go unrecognized, even if they deserve recognition. They achieve great heights but do not need publicity, like the lifeguards of Panambur beach who have participated in international life savings games, won medals and made our country and Mangalore proud.
They are none other than Sanketh Bengre and Tushanth D Bengre, both hailing from Bengre and members of Panambur beach lifeguards.
Sanketh Bengre, son of Shaski Kumar and Sabitha, brother of Sachin Bengre and Shilpa Bengre, was born on October 18, 1989. Having completed his schooling from Rosario, higher studies and graduation from St Aloysius, he is presently awaiting his MSc results in physics from Mangalore University.
Hailing from Bengre, an area close to the sea, Sanketh had an unending passion for swimming from a very young age. He has participated in a number of swimming competitions and won several prizes.
In 2011, he diverted his attention to the newly introduced life saving games. This game is similar to swimming but along with swimming, the participants have to tackle high tides, waves and 'save' a puppet that will be kept at a certain distance. The one who gets it cleared fastest is declared the winner. This game is likely to be introduced in the Olympics in the near future.
Sanketh who is skilled in saving lives at the beach, has participated in life saving games in Kerala and later was a part of a team that represented India in the international life saving games held in South Africa.
Apart from Sanketh, there was another hero, Tushanth D Bengre, who accompanied him in all the games and they, together, represented India.
Tushanth, son of Devanand and Hemavathi and brother of Yagnesh was born on March 22, 1992. Having completed his schooling from Canara and PU from St Aloysius, he is presently pursuing his engineering degree at National Institute of Engineering, Mysore.
Tushanth has also won a number of awards in swimming, participated in life saving games in the national level and has also represented India in the South African life saving games.
In the South African life saving games, the duo, who represented India, bagged third place in the 4 X 25 manicure carry relay.
Sanketh has also been selected to represent India in the upcoming Lifesaving World Games, to be held in Australia in November.
Sanketh has passed all the qualifying levels and has been chosen to represent the country in Australia, but unfortunately, Tushanth could not attend the selections as he had to appear for his engineering examination. But he hopes to participate again in the coming days.
“This life saving game has been newly introduced, but will enter the Olympics soon”, says Sanketh and Tushanth. They have urged youngsters to come forward to learn life saving skills and represent our country in international games.
“If not for the purpose of life saving games, one can also save a life, in times of tragedies and natural calamities, which is the biggest crown for the life savers”, say the young heroes.
Life saving is totally different from normal swimming. In life saving, one has to know many tricks and ideas and has to put one's life in danger to save another. One needs immense courage and dedication for this sort of life saving. In the coastal areas, it is advisable for everyone to learn swimming, so that they can tackle any sort of water accidents. "Swimming needs to be made compulsory in the general educational curriculum like sports," says Sanketh.
"In the coming days, we would like to train many in life saving, and introduce swimming and life saving camps under the ‘swim and survive’ concept," they say.
Presently they are training youngsters in swimming in the MCC swimming pool near Ladyhill. They also vouch for compulsory swimming classes in schools, right from the primary level, because children learn quicker than adults. In many of the foreign countries, swimming is compulsory for students in order to pass out their primary education and hence, there are comparitively less cases of deaths due to drowning in those countries.
Sanketh is grateful to his parents for their support in achieving such great heights, and so is Tushanth. Both of them made a mention of Yathish Baikampady who is they say is the backbone of their success. They urged the government to support such games and life saving activities. As of now, there has not been any sort of support from the government.
Here's wishing that Sanketh and Tushant are able to fulfill their dreams and bring good name and fame to the whole country and particularly Mangalore.
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