Boat clubs in Kerala shift into high gear as Kuttanad readies for famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race

The booming rhythm of synchronized oars has once again rippled through the still waters of Kuttanad in Kerala.

Familiar sight as annual snakeboat racing season (2026) gathers momentum Chundan Vallams cutting the waterways back to central Travancore. While nine leading boat clubs have already set up training camps in Kuttanad, trial sessions have been held for smaller boats. veppu And iruttukuthy It is expected to start in the second week of August, before teams switch to racing boats.

While the season started with the traditional Moolam Boat Race at Champakulam on June 29, the focus has now turned to the prestigious Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) on August 22. The marquee event also marks the opening leg of the Champions Boat League (CBL). The Kerala government’s decision to increase the prize money for the winning team to ₹25 lakh has further elevated the competitive spirit this time.

Punnamada Boat Club in Alappuzha, a traditional powerhouse in the boat racing circuit, started its training camp in the fourth week of July with a contingent of over 100 members, including 83 rowers and five others. amarakkarlar (steersmen). While the accommodation camp is held in Kottamkulangara, the team trains every morning and evening in the waters of Punnamada Lake.

Months of planning

However, the biggest challenge for clubs begins long before the kickoff whistle. Creating a winning team requires months of planning, assembling nearly 100 rowers, perfecting rowing techniques and ensuring flawless coordination among the crew. Club officials estimate that the cost of preparing a single team for events such as NTBR is between ₹1.25 crore and ₹1.5 crore, with the expenses covered by sponsorships, donations, prize money and contributions from fans.

“We have estimated a budget of ₹ 1.46 crore for the camp, which primarily includes the daily wages of the rowers, the coach’s fee, the camp rent and the feeding of the rowers,” says Kevin Rozario, finance secretary of Punnamada Boat Club.

The club, which will be captained by a woman named Anu Albert Pulikkattil for the first time, will run its campaign in Nadubhagam Chundan.

According to Mr. Rozario, the teams currently training at different venues are expected to start training from the second week of August after the houseboats moored at the NTBR track in Punnamada Lake are relocated.

Like Punnamada Lake, Mutherimada river in Kumarakom has also turned into a beehive of activity with two of Kottayam’s three NTBR participants training in its waters. While Kumarakom Town Boat Club is rowing on Punyalan Niranam, Emmanuel Boat Club is racing on Arpookkara Chundan. Kottayam’s third team, Nattakom Boat Club, will participate in the campaign with Cheruthana Chundan.

Arun K. Saseendran, vice-president of Kumarakom Town Boat Club, said the club has allocated a budget of ₹1.3 crore for the NTBR campaign and has already completed 15 days of intensive training consisting of two sessions every day.

“About Rs 70 lakh, a quarter of which will go towards the salaries of the rowers, who are professional rowers from outside the state, while the other Rs 40 lakh will be spent on running the camp. In addition, there are also expenses associated with preparing the snake boat before each event,” he said.

“The club that owns the boat will raise around ₹80 lakh along with the team captain, while Kumarakom Town Boat Club will have to mobilize the remaining amount through sponsorships and contributions,” Mr. Saseendran added.