Champions boat league to have more venues in Malabar next year

KOCHI: The champions boat league --the traditional snake boat race in Kerala modelled on cricket’s Indian premier league—may see more venues in Malabar region next year after its successful debut.

The just concluded league that saw nine rowing teams compete in 12 races from Kollam to Ponnani over a period of four months had Tropical Titans emerge as winner coming first in all but one race, earning Rs 131 lakh in prize monies (22.2%) out of a total purse of Rs 5.9 crore.

The Kerala Tourism-organised event in Kerala’s backwaters that culminated in Kollam on November 23,has its rules mandating payment of Rs 4 lakh per round for any participant. The total prizes of Rs 5.9 crore made champions boat league (CBL) the fourth-highest paid tournament in the country. CBL runners-up Raging Rowers got 82 lakh in total, while Mighty Oars earned 69 lakh as the second runners-up.


Kerala tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said the CBL has boosted not just the state’s traditional water sport, but the travel and hospitality industry. “As an annual feature, the tournament will ensure that Kerala’s tourism begins from August,” he noted. “The places around the CBL venues, too, benefit economically from the championship.”

Kerala tourism secretary Rani George said the CBL has succeeded in its aim of reviving Kerala’s traditional snake-boat races with a dose of professionalism. The holding of the CBL in half-a-dozen district has enabled a comeback of certain traditional boat races that were either losing colour or undergoing a break. “By reviving them, CBL has become integral to Kerala’s traditional post-monsoon festivities,” she added.

Kerala tourism director Bala Kiran said the CBL has also brought in a new generation of boat-race fans, besides broadening the existing viewer base. “Earlier, snake-boats were largely confined to Alappuzha district. Today, we see them rowing in races farther north and south of the state,” he added.

The CBL was inaugurated on August 31 at Alappuzha with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar as the chief guest.