The Jesus Boat Club, founded in 2006 at Kollam district's Padappakkara, was the first to break the dominance of Kuttanad and Kottayam based clubs in the snake boat race circuit. The club introduced a revolutionary rowing technique and registered historic wins at the Nehru Trophy championship in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

This was the first club from Kollam to win the Nehru Trophy. The club has the record of the fastest finish in 2006's Nehru Trophy championship. Composed of members experienced in rowing in the sea and backwaters, the club's 'kadalkkuthu' style combined strength and speed.

Other Boat Clubs

Kumarakom Boat Club

The Kumarakom Boat Club (KBC), was the first club of its kind to be established in Kumarakom, Kottayam. They dominated the backwater arena in the 70s and 80s and became Nehru Trophy champions seven times, which includes two hat-trick wins. After 1984, KBC failed to nail victories for almost two decades. In 2002, KBC entered the Nehru Trophy Golden Jubilee finals and won the cup again. The club went on to win many other competitions except for the Nehru Trophy.

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Ayaparambu Pandi Boat Club

The origins of the Ayaparambu Pandi Boat Club (APBC) traces back to the Udaya Boat Club (UBC), which was once a prominent entity in the snake boat race circles. The club registered impressive performances in all major championships including the Nehru Trophy during 1980-90.The club was composed of paddlers from Ayaparambu and Pandi villages in Upper Kuttanad area in Alappuzha district. With the support of the villagers, the APBC was able to build a snake boat of their own, and they continue to compete in this boat till date.

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Kumarakom Town Boat Club

The Kumarakom Town Boat Club (KTBC) was founded in 1998 in Kumarakom, Kottayam. The club clinched the Nehru Trophy in 1999 in their debut at the event. The club followed up with many impressive wins in other tournaments. KTBC registered a historic four back-to-back wins in the Nehru Trophy during 2004-2007. The club clinched the Nehru Trophy again in 2010. Though the club won many other titles, it failed to lift the Nehru Trophy after the 2010 win. They became runners up in 2023 and 2024 events.

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Pallathuruthy Boat Club

The Pallathuruthy Boat Club (PBC) was founded in Alappuzha in 1971. The club is renowned for its record-breaking finishes in various snake boat races. The club has the impressive record of winning five Nehru Trophy races in a row. PBC's first Nehru Trophy win was in 1988. In 1998, PBC made a comeback with a victory in that year's Nehru Trophy race, aboard the Champakulam snake boat. The club had to wait for another 20 years to win the Nehru Trophy. In 2018, PBC rowed the Payippadan snake boat to Nehru Trophy victory. This was the beginning of the club's record-making Nehru Trophy run. PBC went on to clinch the title in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. They were also adjudged the fastest rowing team in the history of the championship.

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