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KERALA TOURISM NEWSLETTER

Kerala Sets the Ground for the Third Edition of Champions Boat League

It is definitely a visual delight to watch the spectacular snake boat or the Chundan Vallom sliding over the emerald backwaters while creating the zest of the festival mood. Marking the beginning of the Champions Boat League in the enchanting backwaters of Kerala, the Nehru Trophy Boat Race in the Alappuzha district drew a huge crowd. The Champions Boat League, Kerala’s much-famed sports on water, is an annual event that has a rich history of about 400 years. The event is held at 12 different locations throughout the state. 

The 69th edition of the prestigious Nehru Trophy Boat Race took place at the scenic Punnamada Lake in the Alappuzha district on August 12. Among the 72 boats, the Pallathuruthy Boat Club (PBC) won the coveted trophy. The oarsmen who rowed the boat named ‘Veeyapuram Chundan’ finished the race in 4 minutes and 18 seconds. It marked the fourth consecutive victory for the PBC. The other teams that made it to the finals were Kumarakom Boat Club, Kerala Police Boat Club, and United Boat Club (UBC) Kainakari. The event was inaugurated by the Cultural Minister Shri. Saji Cheriyan. 

The Champions Boat League (CBL), modelled after the Indian Premier League (IPL), was created by Kerala Tourism to transform the state's iconic and historically significant 'Vallamkali' (boat races) into a world-class sporting event. Typically, the CBL competition starts with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race which is followed by Karuvatta, Pulinkunnu, Piravam, Marine Drive, Kottappuram, Kainakari, Thazhathangaadi, Pandanadu, Kayamkulam, Kallada and Presidents Trophy Boat Races. The final dates for these upcoming races are yet to be announced.