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Alappuzha decked up for boat race

— Photo: H. Vibhu.

TEST OF SKILL: Members of a boat club prepare for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on Wednesday.

Two more days to go for the Nehru Trophy Boat Race but Alappuzha is already celebrating.

It is not just the colourful pageant that was taken out in the town on Wednesday or the amazed groups of foreign tourists going around that has given the town an air of festivities. The hoardings that are being put up, the announcements from speaker-l aden jeeps, the tense policemen at every junction and then, the last-minute preparations on the battleground at Punnamada Lake — festivity is really in the air.

On Wednesday, there were oarsmen from at least four boat clubs sweating it out on the lake as they pushed themselves to make sure that their efforts to lay hands on the prestigious trophy would not be in vain.

One trial in the morning, and the clubs would move onto the shore for team meetings.

Pep talks by patrons, sponsors (some of whom announced gifts galore if the trophy came home) and veteran oarsmen who had seen many a Nehru Trophy victory in their heydays, were on the agenda after the protein-packed lunch.

And then, it was back onto the lake for another round of practice. As the 90-odd oarsmen on each boat strained every nerve to synchronise themselves with one another, coaches, supporters and club members cheered them from motorboats that raced to keep pace with the snake boats.

On one side of the tracks, houseboats lay anchored, full of tourists watching the trials. Groups of boat race enthusiasts, dancing to full blast music, followed the chundans on boats that groaned under the weight, looking as if they would topple any moment. But none of that bothered the oarsmen, all of whom had the glint of the 56-year-old trophy in their eyes as they rowed with vigour.

Thursday will be the final day for trials, after which Friday is when they take a break to come back on Saturday for the real event.

Dennis Marcus Mathew

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