Nadubhagam Chundan snake boat wins 67th Nehru Trophy in Alappuzha

‘Nadubhagam Chundan’, the snake boat of Pallathuruthy Boat Club, lifted the 67th Nehru Trophy at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha in Kerala. This year was67th  edition of coveted boat race.

The event was inaugurated by Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala. Renowned cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was the chief guest of the event.

Key Highlights

Participants: A total of 79 boats, including 23 snake boats, participated in this years’ Nehru trophy. Out of this, 20 snake boats, including 9 Champions Boat League (CBL) teams, are competing in main race and remaining 3 snake boats in exhibition race.

Nadubhagam Chundan: More than 6 decades after victory in exhibition race held in 1952, which was later declared the 1st edition of regatta, Nadubhagam Chundan, rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club lifted Nehru trophy for 1st time. Pallathuruthy Boat Club has thus emerged winner in maiden race of inaugural edition of Champions Boat League (CBL). The CBL (championsboatleague.in), which is billed as a game-changing initiative, seeks to professionalise Kerala’s largely scattered snake-boat races, while commercialising them without losing conventional spirit of the sport.

Nadubhagam Chundan (snakeboat) won the 1st round of CBL and 9 points, by clocking 4.24 minutes to cover distance of 1,050 metres, leaving behind their fellow competitors.

‘Chambakkulam Chundan’ rowed by the United Boat Club, Kainakary, and ‘Karichal Chundan’ (Police Boat Club) and Devas Chundan (NCDC Boat Club, Kumarakom) secured 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions respectively.

Saradhy of Police Boat Club won final of Thekkanodi Women Tharavallam.

The next leg of race will be held on 7 September at Thazhathangadi near Kottayam. CBL was originally slated to begin on 10 August but it got rescheduled due to heavy rains that wreaked havoc across state.

About Nehru Trophy Boat Race

It was instituted to commemorate the visit of country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the area and his boat ride in Alappuzha lake in 1952.

It was on Nadubhagam Chundan that PM Nehru hopped on after snakeboat came 1st in an exhibition race during his visit to Alappuzha. Later on his return to New Delhi, PM Nehru donated a silver trophy, a replica of a snakeboat.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2019