Alappuzha: In an atmosphere filled with excitement, members of the Pallathuruthy Boat Club (PBC) won the 69th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) held on Punnamada Lake on Saturday. Its fourth straight win of the club. The club earlier claimed the coveted trophy in the years 2018, 2019, and 2022.
Notably, 2020 and 2021 seasons were dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The members rowed on the boat Veeyapuram Chundan. PBC finished the race in 4 minutes and 18 seconds. More than 70 boats participated in the historic race for the trophy named after the first Prime Minister of India. United Boat Club (UBC) Kainakari, Kumarakom Boat Club, and Kerala Police Boat Club are the others who made it into the finals.
Every year, people gather in large numbers to watch nearly 100 ft long boats compete against each other to the tune of old boat songs. Punnamada Lake is the location for the race, where the contestants line up to battle it out. The story behind this water regatta getting its name goes back to the visit of Nehru in 1952. He was so enchanted by the sight of the majestic snake boats that he leaped onto one of the snake boats himself, ignoring his security cover. Later on in the year, he donated a silver trophy in the form of a snake boat as a gift for the memories of the time he spent there. The race went on to be named the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
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