All arrangements are in place for the 68th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) on Punnamada Lake on Sunday. It will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 2 p.m. The NTBR will also be the first race of the second edition of the Champions Boat League (CBL).
As many as 77 boats including 20 chundan vallams (snakeboats) will participate under nine categories in this year's race. While competitions of small boats will begin at 11 a.m., the snakeboat race is scheduled to start after the inauguration. There are five heats lined up in the snakeboat competition. The top four boats, based on timings recorded in heats, will battle it out in the final for the famed Nehru trophy at 4 p.m. Nine top boats in heats will qualify for the next year's CBL.
Besides snakeboat race, competitions will be under Churulan; Iruttu Kuthi ‘A’; Iruttu Kuthi ‘B’; Iruttu Kuthi ‘C’; Veppu ‘A’; Veppu ‘B’; Thekkanodi Thara; and Thekkanodi Kettu categories.
