Swimming is not just a sport, but also an essential life skill that everyone should learn and make it a part of their daily routine, said Director General of State Disaster Response and Fire Services P. Venkata Ramana. He was the chief guest at the 26th Krishna River Cross Swimming Competition, organised by the Aqua Devils Welfare Association (ADWA), in Vijayawada on Sunday. Speaking at the event, Mr. Venkata Ramana called upon the youth to actively take up sports, noting that such initiatives play a crucial role in building a healthy society. The other chief guest of the event was former IAS officer Prabhakar Reddy, who emphasised the importance of swimming in maintaining a healthy life and also appreciated the association for organising the competitions every year. The guests urged the youngsters to make sports a part of their routine, highlighting the importance of physical activity in the digital age. A large number of participants, their families and sports enthusiasts began converging on the banks of the Krishna river in the city from the early morning hours on Sunday. The events were conducted smoothly under strict safety measures and supervision of the rescue teams, said the press release from the association. Mr. Venkata Ramana and Mr. Prabhakar Reddy presented trophies and medals to the winners. Published – February 08, 2026 10:44 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Hebbagodi police rescue 6 trapped in lift KSRTC warns of FIRs as public remove advertisements from buses and shelters