The tranquil waters of Kumarakom, a backwater village in Kottayam, are once again alive with the loud cheers of mighty oarsmen, though not quite as loud as in the previous years.
With the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) at Punnamada just weeks away, boat clubs from Kottayam—two from Kumarakom and one from Changanassery—are vigorously training for the prestigious race. The synchronised thrust of the oars are igniting the enthusiasm of both local people and visitors alike.
This year’s contenders from Kottayam are the Kumarakom Town Boat Club on the Nadubhagom Chundan, the Kumarakom Boat Club on Melpadam Chundan, and the Changanassery Boat Club on Ayaparambu Valiya Divanji Chundan.
Their training is intense, mirroring the fervour of the actual race, with sessions held in the mornings and evenings. The camps also feature orientation classes and rigorous physical training for the oarsmen.
North Indian rowers
“About 20% of our oarsmen are professional rowers from north India,” says Midhun, president of the Kumarakom Town Boat Club. According to him, the team will complete a month-long training before competing in the prestigious race at Punnamada. To curb training expenses, the club has crafted a buoy from plastic, iron, and wood, replicating an actual snake boat—an innovation that has saved them several lakhs of rupees in renting snake boats for practice.
Boat racing, a revered tradition in the backwater landscape of Kottayam, continues to captivate the youth from lakeside villages. “We train with high expectations of winning the Nehru Trophy as well as the Champions Boat League,” Midhun adds.
However, not all clubs are as hopeful. Several, including the Vembanad Boat Club, Vembanad Junior Boat Club, NDC Boat Club, Nava Jeevan Boat Club, Village Boat Club, and Navadhara Boat Club, have opted out this year due to severe financial constraints.
Prohibitively expensive
“Organising these training camps has become prohibitively expensive over the years, threatening the survival of many clubs. By the end of the season, each club will have spent at least ₹75 lakh. While some of this is offset by donations, sponsorships, and prize money, the remainder falls on the club officials’ shoulders,” explains an office-bearer of another boat club.
Besides the snake boats, clubs from Kottayam will also compete in the ‘Veppu’ and ‘Iruttukuthi’ categories of the race. These teams are slated to start their training sessions in the coming week.
