from Krishna Hegde

Mumbai, Nov 8: Pooja Nitin Bhangire, the seven-year-old swimming sensation from Mumbai will be awarded the Bal Gaurav Puraskar by PM Manmohan Singh on November 14, celebrated every year as Children's Day.

She is among the 35 children from across the country to receive this highest award.

Pooja has excelled in adventure sports, swimming from Mora in Uran to Gateway of India (14 km) when she was five-and-a-half, a feat which got her into the Limca Book of Records.

During the swim Pooja was encouraged in mid-sea by the then union minister of sports and youth affairs the late Sunil Dutt.

File pic of the late actor and union minister Sunil Dutt encouraging Pooja

“On completing the swim, Sunil Dutt, as a token of appreciation, gave Pooja Rs 25,000 from the Nargis Dutt Memorial Trust. Pooja was then taken by him to Delhi to represent Maharashtra in the Republic day Parade on January 2005, on the float of the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry.

“It was Dutt saab who wrote to HRD Minister Arjun Singh ji citing Pooja’s achievements.” said Krishna Hegde, who played mentor to Pooja and was instrumental in getting her recognition at the National level.

Pooja, now aged 7, will swim from Rewas, Alibaug to Gateway of India (22km) on November 11 at 6 am .She is scheduled to reach Gateway at 11.00 am.

MP Priya Dutt will be present with other dignitaries to receive her.

“Pooja will swim this distance of 23 km as a tribute to the late Sunil Dutt saab. We are very indebted to him for what he has done for my daughter,” said Nitin Bhangire, father of the young swimming sensation.