The Hindu : Front Page : Kumarakom town club lifts Nehru Trophy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 13, 2006

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Kumarakom town club lifts Nehru Trophy

A. Harikumar

UNFAMILIAR ROWERS: Foreign tourists, most of them rowers in their land, made a beeline for Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on Saturday to join the festivities at the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

ALAPPUZHA: The Town Boat Club, Kumarakom, proved to be a class apart from other boat clubs by cruising to an easy victory in the snake-boat category in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, 2006, held at Punnamada Lake here on Saturday.

Competing on the Payippad boat, the club raced ahead of others in the finals of the category to win the prestigious trophy and cash prizes totalling Rs. 5 lakhs.

With the victory, the club has performed a hat-trick. In 2004, it had won competing on Cheruthana boat, and the previous year, on the Payippad boat. The club proved its class in the preliminary round itself by finishing far ahead of its rivals.

The day also belonged to Jesus Boat Club, Kallada, Kollam, which finished second in its maiden competition at the race. The club, led by Benzy Moonnuthykkal, Edathua, competed on the Sree Ganesh boat.

The Town Boat Club, Alappuzha, led by Kalavoor N. Gopinath, which competed on the Champakkulam boat, finished third. The victory is a consolation for Alappuzha district as none of the clubs from the district could enter the finals last year.

Last year's runner-up Sree Lakshmana Boat Club, Mulakkulam, led by P.N. Velappan, could finish only fourth this time. The club competed on the Karichal boat.

Navajeevan Boat Club, Arpookkara, Kottayam, which competed on the Cheruthana boat, finished first in the losers' final, which featured four boats that finished second in the four preliminary rounds. Kiran Marshal was its captain.

The second place in the losers' final went to Kottayam Boat Club, led by Palakkudi Kariyachan, which competed on the Aaayaparambu Valiya Divanji boat.

In the second losers' final featuring four boats that finished third in the preliminary rounds, Sauhrudaya Arts and Sports Club, Chennamkary, led by Saji Thomas, Kalathil, finished first. Altogether, 16 snake boats participated in the contest.

Foreigners compete

In the Thekkan Oodi category of boats in which women competed, Alleppey Women Boat Club, which rowed the Chellikkadan snake boat, finished first. Ten foreign women were among the rowers. Chandrika Parameswaran was its captain.

Earlier, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, while inaugurating the race, said boat races needed to be held in at least seven districts in the State for getting approval as a sports event.

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