The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Boating festival attracts revellers

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Boating festival attracts revellers

T.S. Shankar

— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Joy ride: Participants at the boating festival organised at Mudaliarkuppam near Chennai by the TTDC.

CHENNAI: A boating festival to promote water sports was organised recently by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) at its Mudaliarkuppam boating jetty.

Organised with the assistance of Madras Boat Club, the event’s focus was to create awareness among the youth about such facilities. The programme attracted weekend revellers, who drove a little over 80-km to witness the water sporting regalia.

The boating festival drew more than 40 water sport loving enthusiasts, mostly in the 10 to 18 age group, who were attending a summer camp in Chennai.

Suraj, a standard IX student was all smiles saying that the event was well conceptualised and it was a thrilling experience.

And a gleaming Janeshwar, a standard VI student, said the boating festival which was not only entertaining but educative as the various safety aspects were also explained in detail.

Suraj and Partha Kadambi, who won a pedal boat race, said they were happy to see that there was lot of enthusiasm among the general public .

The boating festival saw pedal boats, rowing boats, Kayaks, and single skull rowing and the aqua scooter which turned out to be a cynosure of all eyes.

Commissioner of Tourism and Managing Director of TTDC M. Rajaram said the boating festival would become an annual event.

“We will try and hold similar water sporting events in the 10 boating houses of the Corporation all over the State.

“Efforts will be made to rope in national and international level experts to further boost adventure tourism.”

M. Balaji, Past Secretary of Madras Boat Club and coordinator of the event, wanted more such events to be conducted and extended the cooperation of the Club .

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