ALAPPUZHA: Kerala's famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) which is held on the second Saturday of August every year on the Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, has been postponed due to the incessant rains and floods.
Last year too, the boat race was postponed due to the floods, and was later held in November.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the new date for this year's NTTR will be announced later. The debut challenge in the Champions Boat League was also proposed along with the NTBR.
Officials said the flood situation in Alappuzha was not dangerous, and the race was postponed after several people lost lives in Kerala's northern districts due to rain.
Cricket star Sachin Tendulkar was expected to grace the opening ceremony of the boat racing league, India's first-ever boat racing league on Saturday. "Supporting sports, which are a vital part of our country’s tradition and culture, is essential. I am excited to be a part of the launch of the #ChampionsBoatLeague with NTBR at Alappuzha. Join me in cheering for all the teams participating in @cbl_kerala," Tendulkar had tweeted on Thursday.
NTBR is the most competitive and popular of the boat races in the country, held on the tranquil lakefront, where an estimated two lakh people, including tourists from abroad, come to watch every year.
The major attraction of the boat race is the competition of snake boats chundanvallams or snake boats. Chundans (snake boats) are an impressive sight, measuring over 100 feet in length, with a raised prow. They were called snake boats by the former colonial rulers, who based the name on a native boat found in Norway, although Kerala's Chundans bear little resemblance to their European namesakes.