The Hindu : Front Page : Payipad lifts Nehru Trophy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 12, 2007
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Payipad lifts Nehru Trophy

Dennis Marcus Mathew

Photo: K.K. Mustafah

Making a splash of it: Enthusiasm was at its feverish pitch on Punnamada lake, the venue of the Nehru Trophy boat race, in Alappuzha on Saturday.

ALAPPUZHA: In one of the most exciting finals in recent years, Payipad Chundan (snake boat) outdid Karichal Chundan by a couple of seconds to lift the Nehru Trophy in the 55th edition of the boat race on the Punnamada Lake here on Saturday.

This is the fourth win in a row for Kumarakom Town Boat Club, captained by Kunjumon Meluvallil, the last three being on the Payipad boat. The boat’s route to the finals was tough, with its oarsmen scraping ahead of the Cheruthana Chundan of Kainakary United Boat Club by just a second in the heats stage.

While the 12-time winner Karichal Chundan of St. George Boat Club was second runner-up, Sree Ganesh Chundan of Jesus Boat Club, Kollam, and the brand-new Pattara Chundan of Kumarakom Boat Club ended up third and fourth, respectively, in the final.

In the other categories, Ambalakadavan of Punnamada Boat Club reached first in the “Veppu” Grade-A finals, while Punnathra Purackal of Brothers’ Boat Club, Chenamkari, bagged the first prize in the Grade-B finals.

In the “Iruttukuthy” Grade-A finals, it was Padakkuthira boat of Amrutha Boat Club, Paravoor, that won, while in Grade-B, the victor was the St. Sebastian No.1 boat of Panangad Boat Club.

The Kuruppu Paramban boat of Yuvabhavana Boat Club, Chenamkari, won the “Churulan” category finals.

In the women’s final, the Chellikadan boat of Vembanad Lake Vanitha Boat Club, which had nine international rowers, overcame stiff challenges from the Company Vallom of Kuttamangalam Vanitha Boat Club and the Kattil Thekkethil boat of Samyuktha Samskarika Samithi, Alappuzha, to lift the trophy. Earlier, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan inaugurated the regatta.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran and Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran were witness to the races. Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar presented the trophy.

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