Nine franchises will battle it out for honours in the Champions Boat League (CBL), patterned on the lines of the hugely popular Indian Premier League, to be held at Alappuzha on August 10.
The country’s first-ever boat league, a water-based boat racing event, would be held on the sidelines of the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
The Tourism Department, in a release here on Saturday, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would flag off the event on August 10, in the presence of Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
“Every detail has been worked out meticulously for the hassle-free conduct of the event. The preparations are moving to the final stages,” Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said at a press conference to give details about the structure and schedule of the three-month-long event. He launched the website www.championsboatleague.in and jerseys for the oarsmen of the nine teams, besides unveiling the trophy of the CBL and releasing a promo video of the event.
The 9 teams for the first edition of the boat race would be put up for bidding for franchisee acquisition at Grand Hyatt in Kochi on August 1, the Minister said.
