With just a week left for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) in Alappuzha, the shorelines of Kumarakom, a backwater village in Kottayam, are reverberating with the pulsating uproars of mighty oarsmen propelling in unison.
As many as five boat clubs which are taking part in the flagship event this time are holding their practice sessions at the Mutherimada river here. The practice sessions, which stimulate actual race conditions, are witnessing a bevy of boat race enthusiasts thronging roads leading to the riverbanks here.
The boat clubs from the region that are in the fray this time are the Kumarakom Town Boat Club (Champakkulam Chundan), Kumarakom Boat Club (Payipad Chundan), Vembanad Boat Club (Cheruthana Chundan), NCDC Boat Club (Niranam Chundan) in Kaippuzhamutt and Samudra Boat Club (Anari Chundan).
As part of the training session, all five teams have opened camps at Kumarakom to accommodate their oarsmen. About a quarter of all teams comprise professional oarsmen from other States who are hired on a seasonal basis.
“It costs between ₹40 lakh and 45 lakh for each team to train and condition their team ahead of the NTBR. After the event, a bulk of these inter-State oarsmen, generally drawn from kayaking training centres, will return,’’ explained Jameskutty Jacob, captain, NCDC Boat Club. At these camps, orientation classes and physical training sessions are conducted for the oarsmen.
The team members from Manipur, however, have expressed their desire to stay back for the entire season.
The boat clubs, meanwhile, are slated to meet up for an exhibition event here on Sunday. As many as 13 boats including those in the ‘Veppu’ and ‘Iruttukuthi’ categories will also take part in the event and the winner will be awarded the Malanikkal Pappachan memorial trophy.
