Preparations are in full swing for the 68th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR). As many as 77 boats including 20 chundan vallams (snakeboats) will participate under nine categories in this year's race, which will be held on Punnamada Lake on September 4. Tracks and heats for the snakeboat race were finalised through a draw of lots on Saturday. It was inaugurated by District Collector Krishna Teja. There will be a total of five heats.
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Snakeboats/clubs competing in heats 1 are: Ayaparampu Pandi (KBCSBC, Kumarakom); Karuvatta (Karuvatta Jalolsava Samithi); Alappadan Puthan (Town Boat Club, Kuttanad); and Champakulam (Police Boat Club, Alappuzha). They will compete on tracks 1 to 4 respectively.
Heats 2: Cheruthana (Freedom Boat Club, Kollam); Valiya Diwanji (Valiya Diwanji Boat Club); Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekkethil (Pallathuruthy Boat Club); and Anari (Village Boat Club, Kainakary).
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Heats 3: Vellamkulangara (St. George Boat Club, Thekkekara); Karichal (UBC, Kainakary); Karuvatta Srivinayakan (St. Pius Tenth Boat Club, Mankombu); and Payippadan (Vembanad Boat Club, Kumarakom). Heats 4: Devas (Village Boat Club, Edathua); St. George (Town Boat Club, Alappuzha); Niranam Chundan (Niranam Boat Club, Thiruvalla); and Sree Mahadevan (UBC, Venattukadu Chathurthiakary). Heats 5: Jawahar Thayankari (Samudra Boat Club, Kumarakom); Veeyapuram (Punnamada Boat Club); Nadubhagom (NCDC Boat Club, Kumarakom); and St. Pius Tenth (Kumarakom Town Boat Club). Four boats will qualify for the final based on timings.
Captains’ meet held
Besides snakeboats, boats have also been registered under Churulan; Iruttu Kuthi ‘A’; Iruttu Kuthi ‘B’; Iruttu Kuthi ‘C’; Veppu ‘A’; Veppu ‘B’; Thekkanodi Thara; and Thekkanodi Kettu categories. A captains’ meet was held on Saturday in connection with the NTBR. It decided to conduct the race keeping discipline and sportsmanship. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS) issued guidelines to all participating boats.
The Alappuzha municipality and the NTBRS will jointly organise arts and cultural programmes in Alappuzha town from August 30 to September 4 in connection with the race.
Security arrangements
Meanwhile, Ernakulam Range DIG Neeraj Kumar Gupta visited the race venue and reviewed the security arrangements. The NTBR will also be the first race of this year's Champions Boat League (CBL). Both the NTBR and CBL will be held after a pandemic-induced gap of two years. The race was last held on August 31, 2019.