Nehru trophy boat race may be postponed

Fate of Champions Boat League also hangs in the balance

Under normal circumstances, about two dozen snakeboat (chundan vallam) teams, each comprising 100 plus oarsmen, would hit the tranquil waters of Vembanad Lake for intense training sessions during this time of the year. The practice sessions, a frenzied affair with hundreds of villagers and race boat buffs turning up on the banks of backwaters to cheer their teams, usually set the tone for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR), celebrated as 'Kuttanad's Olympics on water', on the second Saturday of August every year. However, for the second year in a row, the sight of snakeboats cleaving through backwaters as they prepare for the ultimate race at Punnamada is missing. With COVID-19 cases remaining high, the 68th edition of the boat race is all set to be postponed. District Collector A. Alexander, who is also chairman of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS), says the situation is not conducive for conducting the race.