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Afrin becomes 1st from AMU to cross English Channel

In a momentous first for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Afrin Jabeen, a B.P.Ed. student, has scripted history by becoming the first-ever AMU student to successfully swim across the English Channel

Saturday August 2, 2025 8:25 PM, ummid.com News Network

Aligarh Muslim University: In a momentous first for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Afrin Jabeen, a B.P.Ed. student, has scripted history by becoming the first-ever AMU student to successfully swim across the English Channel.

Afrin braved the frigid waters at 11°C and fierce currents on July 29, 2025 to complete the solo one-way swim from Dover (UK) to Cap Gris-Nez (France) at a stretch of 34 kilometers in 13 hours and 13 minutes, beginning at 3:45 AM London time.

This remarkable feat places her in the elite ranks of international endurance swimmers and brings immense pride to AMU, her home state West Bengal, and India at large.

Who is Afrin Jabee?

Rising from a modest background in Paschim Medinipur, Afrin’s journey is a stirring testament to perseverance, discipline, and unyielding ambition. Even before this feat, she had already distinguished herself as a formidable open-water swimmer.

She represented Vidyasagar University three times at the All-India Inter-University Aquatic Championships, competed twice for West Bengal at the national level, and conquered demanding long-distance swims spanning 13 kms, 21 kms, and 24 kms.

Her most remarkable pre-AMU achievement was securing 2nd position among girls in the world’s longest swimming event—an 81 kms marathon in the Ganges.

"Historic Milestone"

As a student of AMU, Afrin’s triumph is not only personal but also a historic milestone for the university.

Flanked by her proud brother, Adil Mohmmad (a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry at AMU) and her sister-in-law, Rizwana Yasmeen (a Gold Medalist in Nanotechnologty at AMU), Afreen, holding the Indian flag, expressed with thrill, “I am happy to have brought joy to my nation, University and family, who always support me in pursuing my dreams.”

AMU Vice Chancellor Prof. Naima Khatoon hailed her achievement as a moment of “collective celebration and pride.”

She said that Afrin's extraordinary spirit will inspire generations of AMU students. "She has initiated a journey that will be taken up by many more talented students at AMU", she said.

"Remarkable Achievement"

Prof Ikram Husain, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and the Chairperson, Department of Physical Education congratulated Afrin Jabee for her remarkable achievement and expressed hope that her education at AMU will ensure many more such laurels in her life.

Prof Vibha Sharma, Member Incharge, Public Relations Office, said that Afrin and her brother are still in the UK and they will be back to Aligarh soon. She congratulated them on phone and conveyed the best wishes on behalf of the university fraternity.

In Afrin, AMU has found a new icon, a daughter of Aligarh who swam into history, carrying the university's name across nations and into global acclaim and offers great promises for future in sports.

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