Bula Choudhury

First Channel solo — 12 September 1989

Published account checked

Recorded swim date · Tuesday, 12 September 1989 · Start or finish date not specified by the source

Elapsed swim time · 10h 46m

Duration of the complete swim

Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Timing note · Dover publishes 12 September 1989 as the swim date without specifying whether it is the departure or arrival date. Exact start and finish clocks are not available from the inspected source.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Ratification / historical recognition · CSA is identified by Dover’s record; direct CSA entry not inspected

How this record was checked

Dover’s individual crossing record supplies India, the date, England-to-France and 10:46. Its athlete page lists both successful solos. The published archive was inspected; an original observer report or direct CSA entry was not.

Dover.uk.com: Bula Chowdhury, 12 September 1989

Checked 2026-10-30

Dover.uk.com: Bula Chowdhury swimmer profile

Checked 2026-10-30

Second successful Channel solo, 1999

Published account checked

Elapsed swim time · 13h 15m

Duration of the complete swim

Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Finished · Exact finish date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed

Timing note · The inspected Dover record publishes 1999 only: its URL uses 1999-00-00. No month, day or clock time has been inferred. Its 13:15 duration differs from some secondary profiles and remains attributed to Dover.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · England → France

Ratification / historical recognition · CSA is identified by Dover’s record; direct CSA entry not inspected

How this record was checked

Dover’s individual 1999 record and athlete profile agree on England-to-France and 13:15. A contemporary 2005 report corroborates a second Channel crossing in 1999, without a duration. Original ratification paperwork was not inspected.

Dover.uk.com: Bula Chowdhury, 1999

Checked 2026-10-30

Dover.uk.com: Bula Chowdhury swimmer profile

Checked 2026-10-30

The Times of India: Bula Chowdhury, contemporary report, 30 April 2005

Checked 2026-10-30

Catalina Channel

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Wednesday, 28 August 2002 (event date)

Completed Catalina Island → mainland.

Elapsed time · 10h 23m 14s

Ratifying body's record checked

How this event was checked

CCSF row 103 names Bula Chowdhury Chakraborty, India. The 2005 career report provides the Channel/Catalina/Cook identity bridge.

CCSF: successful Catalina Channel solo swims

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Selected named individual rows: swim date, direction and elapsed time.

Limitations · The register date is not labelled departure or arrival; original observer paperwork was not inspected. Pre-1981 swims are retrospective entries.

Times of India: Bula Chowdhury career, 30 April 2005

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Contemporary career report links Bula’s English Channel swims with Catalina and Cook Strait, bridging the register spelling variants.

Limitations · Used for identity corroboration, not the record times or unsupported distance claims.

Cook Strait

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Tuesday, 25 March 2003 (event date)

New Zealand

Completed North Island → South Island.

Elapsed time · 9h 4m

Published account checked

How this event was checked

NZOWSA row 53 lists “Chukraboty Chowdhury Bula”, India. The contemporary career report connects the spelling variants and this swimmer’s Channel/Cook career. This unstarred entry does not itself establish NZOWSA ratification.

NZOWSA: Cook Strait recognised swims

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Selected named rows, nationality, recorded date, route and duration.

Limitations · Only starred entries explicitly indicate NZOWSA ratification; these historical selected rows are unstarred. Original observer records were not inspected.

Times of India: Bula Chowdhury career, 30 April 2005

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Contemporary career report links Bula’s English Channel swims with Catalina and Cook Strait, bridging the register spelling variants.

Limitations · Used for identity corroboration, not the record times or unsupported distance claims.

First English Channel crossing

12 September 1989

The recorded swim date is 12 September, with an elapsed time of 10 hours 46 minutes.

Six gold medals

1991

Won six golds at the South Asian Federation Games.

Second English Channel crossing

1999

Completed another England-to-France solo; the precise calendar date remains unconfirmed.

Lifetime achievement presentation

21 September 2004

Received the adventure-sport lifetime achievement award at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Padma Shri announced

25 January 2008

Named in the Government of India’s 2008 Padma Awards announcement.