10th edition of Malabar River Festival set to begin on July 25
The Hindu
The 10th Malabar River Festival features international kayakers competing in whitewater events in Kozhikode, India.
As the 10th edition of the Malabar River Festival, one of the biggest whitewater kayaking championships in the continent is set to begin on July 25 (Thursday) at Meenthullippara in Chakkittapara grama panchayat in Kozhikode, kayaking icons from all over the world have started arriving for the festival.
A total of 12 international kayakers have registered for the festival this season unlike the previous couple of years when the event was largely an Indian affair. Benjamin Jacob from France, Manu Wackernagel from New Zealand, Eiril Hansen from Norway, Paolo Rogna, Martina Rossi and Giulia Zagnoni from Italy, Marissa Kaup and Lea Jaeger from Germany, Mike Krutyansky from Spain and Daria Kuzishcheva, Maria Koreneva and Anton Sveshnikov from Russia are expected to take part in the festival. Most of them have already reached Kodenchery and have started their practice sessions. A large number of kayakers from Nepal and several Indian States are also taking part in the festival.
The festival will begin on Thursday with demo playboating at Meenthullippara. The event will move to Pulikkayam in Kodenchery grama panchayat the next day where kayak cross competitions (for both men and women), qualifiers, heats and finals, will be held on Friday and Saturday.
The down river race will be held at Pulloorampara on the last day of the festival where the ‘Rapid Raja’ and ‘Rapid Rani’ will be selected.
The Malabar River Festival is being organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society and the District Tourism Promotion Council in association with the Department of Local-Self Government, while the event will be managed by Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association. The event is being held in the Iruvazhinji and Chalipuzha rivers.
Several pre-events of the festival such as off-road championship, mud football, kabaddi championship, rain walk, cycling and mountaineering workshop were held across the upland villages of Kozhikode over the last two months.