The President's Trophy Boat Race is a popular boat race held on the Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam on 1 November every year. 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. There are races in five categories, namely Chundan Vallam (snake-boats), two grades of Veppu Vallam, and two grades of Iruttukuthi Vallam. Sixteen snake-boats compete in four heats. The trophy had been instituted in the name of the President of India who gives away the trophy and cash prize to the winning team. The race will become a part of Kerala's Indian Premier League-model boat race league from 2019 onward. The Government of Kerala is planning to make the President's Trophy Boat Race as the finishing event of Champions’ Boat League.
About the event The race takes place in Kollam along the Ashtamudi Lake, starting from the water column near Thevally Palace and finishing in front of the house boat terminal along a length of the river measuring . 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 the race course of Ashtamudi Lake to the finish.
Champions Winners of the first edition of President's Trophy Boat Race - Sree Ganeshan Chundan(St. Francis Boat Club, Kollam).
The President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated the first President's Trophy boat race. A gold-plated trophy and rupees 10 lakhs (10,00,000 or 1 million) INR cash award is also provided to the winner.
Year Winners Club Captain 2011Sree Ganesh ChundanSaint Francis Boat ClubK Arun Kumar 2012Jawahar ThayankariSangam Kannety 2013Karichal ChundanJesus Boat Club-Kollam 2014AnaryKumarakam Town Boat Club 2015Not Conducted 2016Kattil ThekkethilNew Alapy Town Boat Club 2017St. Pious XthSFBC 2018Not Conducted 2019NadubhagamPallathuruthy Boat club(PBC)Narayanankutty 2020Not Conducted 2021Not Conducted 2022 Nadubhagam NCDC 2023 Veeyapuram Pallathuruthi PBC Allen and Aiden Moonnuthykkan 2024 Veeyapuram Village Boat club Kainakari Saju sebastin 2025 Niranam Niranam Boat club
Patrons Chief Patron: Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala Chairman: District Collector of Kollam General Convener: District Magistrate of Kollam Mayor, Corporation of Kollam
References
External links
Official President's Trophy Boat Race Website The Hindu News Paper KOLLAM, 10 August 2011 The Hindu News Paper KOLLAM, 9 August 2011 The Hindu News Paper KOLLAM, 17 July 2011