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

The thunderous cadence of synchronised oars has once again begun to ripple across the backwaters of Kuttanad in Kerala.

With the annual snake boat racing season (2026) gathering momentum, the familiar sight of chundan vallams slicing through the waterways has returned to central Travancore. As many as nine leading boat clubs have already set up preparation camps across Kuttanad, while trial sessions for smaller boats such as veppu and iruttukuthy are expected to begin by the second week of August before teams shift to their race boats.

Although the season got underway with the traditional Moolam Boat Race at Champakulam on June 29, the focus has now shifted 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 raise the prize money for the winning team to ₹25 lakh has further lifted the competitive spirit this time.

The Punnamada Boat Club in Alappuzha, a traditional powerhouse in the boat racing circuit, began its training camp in the fourth week of July with a contingent of more than 100 members, including 83 oarsmen and five amarakkars (helmsmen). While the residential camp is being held at Kottamkulangara, the team trains every morning and evening on the waters of Punnamada Lake.

Months of planning

For the clubs, however, the biggest challenge begins well before the starting whistle. Building a winning team demands months of planning, assembling nearly a 100 oarsmen and perfecting rowing techniques and ensuring flawless coordination among the crew. Club officials estimate that preparing a single team for events such as the NTBR costs anywhere between ₹1.25 crore and ₹1.5 crore, with expenses met through sponsorships, donations, prize money and contributions from supporters.

“We have estimated a budget of ₹1.46 crore towards the camp, which primarily comprises the daily wages of the oarsmen, the coach’s remuneration, rent for the camp as well as the diet of the oarsmen,” says Kevin Rozario, finance secretary of the Punnamada Boat Club.

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

According to Mr. Rozario, teams currently training at different venues are expected to begin practice on the NTBR track at Punnamada Lake from the second week of August after the houseboats anchored there are relocated.

Like Punnamada Lake, the Mutherimada river at Kumarakom has turned into a hive of activity, with two of Kottayam’s three NTBR entrants training on its waters. Kumarakom Town Boat Club rows Punyalan Niranam, while Emmanuel Boat Club competes with Arpookkara Chundan. Nattakom Boat Club, the third team from Kottayam, will campaign with Cheruthana Chundan.

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

“Around ₹70 lakh will go towards wages for the oarsmen, a quarter of whom are professional rowers from outside the State, while another ₹40 lakh will be spent on running the camp. In addition, there are expenses involved in conditioning the snake boat ahead of every event,” he said.

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