Skip to main content

Celebrated figure in aquatic world, Avi was role model for his peers

By Harsh Thakor* 
The Indian swimming community mourns the profound loss of Avinash Sarang, a celebrated figure in the aquatic world. Known affectionately as Avi, he passed away at the age of 80 on August 26, 2024. His remarkable legacy ensures a permanent place for him in the history of Indian swimming. It's difficult to find a swimmer who could match his achievements; he was truly the ultimate role model in the sport. 
Avi uniquely distinguished himself as a National Champion in pool events—specifically the 100 meters butterfly and middle-distance freestyle—while also excelling in water polo and open water swimming, reaching unprecedented levels of all-around excellence. He was undeniably one of the most vibrant and enduring personalities in Indian swimming. 
Remarkably, Avi swam across the English Channel on August 28, 1974 -- the 50th anniversary of that extraordinary feat. His brothers, Anand and Ashish, along with his nephew Sahil, had intended to celebrate this milestone with him at the hospital, before fate cruelly intervened and took him from us. 
Avi had been facing health challenges in recent months that worsened rapidly, leading to his admission to the Shanti Avedna Hospice for palliative care in Bandra West. Although he appeared frail, he maintained his signature buoyancy, engaging happily with colleagues Pradeep and Smita Digvikar and inquiring about the water polo scene in Mumbai. 
Visits from his brothers and nephew brought him joy, especially when he learned of the Central Railway’s victory in the prestigious Inter Railway Water Polo Tournament held just last July at the new swimming pool at Mahalaxmi Stadium.

 Swimming career 

Avi served as a role model for his peers when he and his brothers began their swimming journey at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Swimming Pool (MGMO). His accomplishments as a swimmer, water polo player, and open water champion earned him a household name in Indian swimming. 
The accomplishments of the Sarang brothers sparked inspiration for future generations, making the walls of MGMO adorned with cherished photographs of Avi alongside fellow legends like Dorothy, Visu Harmalkar, and Freny Sehna—a reminder of their incredible legacy and an emotional nod to the past for former swimmers. In the 1960s, the Sarang brothers, led by Avi and supported by Anand and Ashish, dominated their respective age groups in competitions as well as in water polo. 
Avi made history as first Indian to swim English Channel in remarkable 16 hours and 15 minutes on a day when sea was particularly turbulent
Their training took place at the MGMO Swimming Pool in Shivaji Park, the first municipal swimming pool in Mumbai, where they were rigorously taught by Coach Arvind Sathe. A notable star in the Central Railway water polo team, Avi played a pivotal role in winning the prestigious Inter Railway Tournament for the first time in 1967, breaking the stronghold that the Eastern and South Eastern Railways had on the tournament. 
Avi made history as the first Indian to swim the English Channel in a remarkable 16 hours and 15 minutes on a day when the sea was particularly turbulent. His resilience and extensive experience in open water proved vital in overcoming this formidable challenge. 
He rose to prominence by conquering rivals and dominated the swimming and water polo scenes, winning several national titles and playing a significant part in the Indian water polo team that achieved a Silver Medal at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games—the best overseas performance by an Indian team to date. 
He was joined by fellow state stalwarts Samir Kapadia and Bharat Merchant on that outstanding team. Avi's contributions were recognized with prestigious awards, including the Shiv Chhatrapati Award—being the first swimmer to earn this accolade—and the Arjuna Award from the Government of India. 

Post-swimming years 

In later life, Avi transitioned from competitive swimming to become a top-class water polo referee and instructor. He served the Greater Mumbai Amateur Aquatic Association (GMAAA) as an office bearer, first as Vice President and later as Honorary General Secretary. His coaching acumen shone through when he led the Maharashtra Women’s Water Polo Team to a Gold Medal and coached numerous state and national champions at the MIG Club. 
His exceptional contributions were acknowledged with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the GMAAA and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar. Avi began his professional journey with Central Railway before moving to Air India, where he retired as a senior functionary in the cabin crew. The Indian swimming community grieves the loss of this legend, Avinash Sarang. 
---
*Freelance journalist who swam the English Channel in 1988. He thanks colleagues Pradeep Digvikar and Zarir Baliwalla for their insights

Comments

TRENDING

How Hindutva and the Taliban mirror each other in power and ideology

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The recent visit of Taliban-appointed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India and the warm reception extended to him by the Modi government have raised questions about India’s foreign policy direction. The decision appears to lend legitimacy to the Taliban regime, which continues to suppress democratic aspirations in Afghanistan. 

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu.  He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Caste, employment, and Bihar elections: The tragedy of Musahar child labourers

​By Sunil Kumar*  ​ Bihar 's biggest festival of 'democracy'—the elections—has begun with its full clamor. The announcements from both the ruling party and the opposition create the illusion that the state's suffering will vanish in an instant, and the lives of the people of Bihar will be greatly enriched. As in every election, this time too, caste and employment are emerging as key issues. Every party is unrolling its bundle of promises. But amidst this electoral noise, there are stories that are deliberately kept 'quiet'—because both the ruling party and the opposition benefit from their silence. One such story is the death of four Musahar children.

Creative destruction? The myth of ‘better capitalism’ behind the 2025 Economics Nobel

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak *  The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Joel Mokyr , Philippe Aghion , and Peter Howitt “for having explained innovation-driven economic growth .” According to the Nobel announcement on October 13 , one half of the prize goes to Professor Joel Mokyr “for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress ,” while the other half is shared by Professors Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt “for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction .”