The Kumarakom Town Boat Club (KTBC), rowing the Jawahar Thayankary snake-boat, wrested back the prestigious Nehru Trophy in the 58th Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the Punnamada Lake here on Saturday.
KTBC, which had maintained an iron grip on the trophy winning it on four consecutive occasions from 2004, had lost the trophy to the Jesus Boat Club (JBC), Kollam, in 2008 and JBC went on to win the event in 2009 as well. However, it was sweet revenge for the Joseph Philip-led KTBC, who convincingly knocked out JBC, rowing the Karichal chundan in the third heats of the event, thus putting an end to the hat-trick dream of JBC captain Gigy Jacob Pollayil.
Twelve-time winner United Boat Club, Kainakary, rowing on the ‘Payipad’ chundan, missed out by a few metres to end up second, while the Sree Ganesh chundan, rowed by the Karumadikuttan Boat Club, Kavalam, finished third in the tightly contested final. The Pattara chundan of the Kumarakom Boat Club was fourth.
Earlier, inaugurating the event, President Pratibha Patil called for a scientifically drafted master plan for development of sustainable tourism harnessing fully the potential of Alappuzha, a district that has a special status on the tourism map of the country.
Ms. Patil said Alappuzha was a prime destination for backwater tourism. Being so, it was imperative to save the district’s pristine beauty and its waterways from getting polluted. This was where the significance of a scientifically drafted master plan lay.
Stating that the Nehru Trophy Boat Race and other smaller boat races in Kerala during this time of the year could be an opportunity to attract more tourists to the State, the President said Kerala was short on literally nothing.
“Kerala has everything – beaches, misty hill stations, the backwaters and forestlands rich with a large variety of flora and fauna. It has historic monuments and rich art and culture. Its alluring beauty and serenity leaves tourists mesmerized. To all these advantages can be added the boat race festivals to make Kerala a favoured tourist destination,” she said.
Terming the Nehru Trophy Boat Race a reflection of the enthusiasm for sporting activities of the people of Kerala, Ms. Patil said the event was the most popular boat race in the country.
Sitaram Yechury, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism and Coir Minister G. Sudhakaran presented the winners with the trophy.
Governor R.S. Gavai, Union Minister of Tourism Kumari Shelja, State Ministers P.K.Sreemathy, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, M. Vijayakumar and N.K. Premachandran, and K.C. Venugopal, MP, among others were present.
