President's Trophy Boat Race

The President's Trophy Boat Race (Malayalam: പ്രസിഡന്റ്'സ് ട്രോഫി വള്ളം കളി) is a popular boat race held on the Ashtamudi lake in Kollam city on 1 November every year.[1] The day marks the birth of the Indian state of Kerala, known as Kerala Piravi. This is the most popular of the races to be held during the season of the harvest festival, Onam, in Autumn on Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam. There would be races in five categories, namely Chundan Vallam (snake-boats), two grades of Veppu Vallam, and two grades of Iruttukuthi Vallam. Sixteen snake-boats would compete in four heats. The trophy had been instituted in the name of the President of India. President of India will be present to witness the race and would also give away the trophy and cash prize to the winning team. The race will become a part of Kerala's IPL-model boat race league from 2019 onward. The Government of Kerala is planning to make President's Trophy Boat Race as the finishing event of Champions’ Boat League.[2]

President's Trophy Boat Race
Annual event since 2011
Current champion Nadubhagam chundan (2019)
Course Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam Kerala
Trophy President's Trophy

About the event

Kollam is a miniature of Kerala in all its pomp and pride in tourism map. The Ashtamudi Lake – beautiful calm water spread with enchanting greenery on the blanks. It is also gifted with unique representative features - sea, lakes plains, monuments, rivers, streams, backwaters, forest, and vast green fields.

The venue is at Gateway of Ashtamudi. The race will start from the water column near Thevally Palace and finishing point will be front of the house boat terminal.[1] The water body having 1250 m long in between these two points is scheduled as the Track for the race.[1]

As the oarsmen throw their oars in unison to the fast paced rhythm of the vanchipattu (Song of the Boatmen), the huge black crafts slice through pristine race course of Ashtamudi Lake to a spectacular finish. Hundreds of spectators, including tourists from abroad, thronging the lake front, erupts out of joy.

Boat race is telecasted live in DD National and DD Malayalam.

Champions - first edition

Winners of the first edition of President's Trophy Boat Race - Sree Ganeshan Chundan(St. Francis Boat Club, Kollam).[3] Runner up - Devas Chundan (Jesus Boat Club, Kollam).[3]

Her Excellency the Honorable President of India, Smt.Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated first edition of President's Trophy boat race.[1]

Trophies and prize money

The gold-plated trophy and rupees 10 lakhs cash award.

Winners
Year Winners Club Captain
2011 Sree Ganesh Chundan Saint Francis Boat Club K Arun Kumar
2012 Jawahar Thayankari Sangam Kannety
2013 KARICHAL CHUNDAN Jesus Boat Club-Kollam
2014 Anary Kumarakam Town Boat Club
2015 Not Conducted
2016 Kattil Thekkethil New Alapy Town Boat Club
2017 St. Pious Xth SFBC
2018 Not Conducted
2019 Nadubhagam Pallathuruthy Boat club(PBC) Narayanankutty

Patrons
  • Chief Patron: Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala
  • Chairman: District Collector of Kollam
  • General Convener: District Magistrate of Kollam
  • Mayor, Corporation of Kollam

Other notable boat races in Kerala

Other notable events in city

References
  1. "President's Trophy Boat Race at Ashtamudi backwaters | Explore Kollam Festivals". www.keralatourism.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. "Row, row, row your boat for a big prize money". Business Line. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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