The 63rd Nehru Trophy Boat Race to be held at Punnamada Lake here on August 8 will have 63 participating boats. There will be 16 chundan valloms , the larger snake boats with a carrying capacity of about 100 oarsmen, and 47 boats in the smaller categories.
Announcing this at a press conference here, District Collector N. Padmakumar said the race would be inaugurated by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The race in the smaller categories would begin at 11 a.m. The contest in the chundan vallom category would begin at 2.30 p.m. The race has been scheduled to end by 4.30 p.m. District Tourism Promotion Council will set up food stalls on either side of the lake.
Online booking that was introduced this year though a professional agency has received good response. Tickets worth Rs.2.73 lakh have already been sold online. The boat race committee is expecting aid to the tune of Rs.50 lakh from the State government. Ticket sales are expected to fetch Rs.50 lakh. About 30,000 tickets have been arranged to be sold through various government offices in different districts.
