ALAPPUZHA: The wait is over. The rowers of the 16 snake boats among the longest canoes in the world will cut across the waters of the Punnamada lake here on Saturday to lift the silver trophy gifted by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the country. The 59th Nehru Trophy Boat Race is all set to be inaugurated by Union Health MinisterGulam Nabi Azad. Also expected to attend are Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken and Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, Union Minister of State for Power K C Venugopal, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan and MPs and MLAs will be present to watch the race.Sixty boats, including 19 snake boats, will participate in the event. There will have contests in the Iruttukuthi ‘A’ and ‘B’ grades, Veppu ‘A’ and ‘B’ grades, Churulan and Thekkenodi categories for the small boats besides the glamour race of chundan vallams(snake boats). The snake boats take hardly five minutes to cover the course of 1,272 metres.District Collector P Venugopal, who is also the chairman of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society, told ‘Express’ that the stage is ready for the battle of the boats which will create wonder on waves.The race course, which is 20-metres wide is divided into four tracks. The maximum number of oarsmen for a 35-meter long snake boat is 120, Venugopal said.The boats that were pulled ashore for finishing touches on Thursday after weeks of practice will hit the waters early on Saturday.Last year, Kumarakom Town Boat Club’s Jawahar Thayankari staved of a stiff challenge from Payippadan Chundan of the United Boat Club (UBC) Kainakari to lift the 58th Nehru Trophy.While Payippadan, rowed by UBC, Kainakari, finished second, Kavalam Karumadikuttan Boat Club’s Sree Ganesan and Pattara Chundan of Kumarakom Boat Club, finished third and fourth respectively.Jawahar Thayankari took only 4 minutes and 50.68 seconds to cover the race course of 1,272 metres. When Payippadan took 4 minute and 51.39 seconds, Sree Ganesan and Pattara Chundan took 4 minutes and 52.28 seconds and 4 minute and 53.23 seconds.The popular Jawahar Thayankari, Devas, Alappadu Puthenchundan and Cheruthana will contest each other in the first heats. Muttel Kainakari, Karuvatta Puthenchundan, Illikkulam and Pulinkunnu are pitted in the second heats. The third heats will have Karuvatta Sree Vinayakan, Ayaparambu Valiyadiwanji, Payippadan and Chambakkulam drawing their vast experience while the fourth heats will witness the contest between Sree Ganesan, Vellamkulangara, Anari Puthenchundan and Karichal.Nadubhagom Chundan, the first winner of the competition in 1952, will not attend this year.
Comments
0 comment