Kerala's traditional boat racing to have IPL-like league
Kerala's traditional snake boat racing, which is held during Onam, is set to become an IPL-like league-based sport with the inaugural edition of the Kerala Boat Race League scheduled to start in August this year. The league, comprising nine races, will feature snake boats, which are usually 100-foot long and require around a hundred rowers to ride.
Move over Indian Premiere League, for Kerala's famous snake boat race is on its way to get the makeover of a league sport. The state government has given all permissions necessary for a revamped Kerala Boat Race League (KBL) to take place this season. So far, however, only snake boats, which are known as "vallam kali", have been allowed to be a part of the league. Other traditional boat races will take place outside the league."Only snake boats will be allowed to participate in the KBL. The competitions of small boats will be held as usual. We hope that from next year, KBL will get many more sponsors," A TOI report quotes Finance minister T M Thomas Isaac."The nine snake boats, which come in the last leg of NTBR, will qualify for the other eight competitions in the league. The snake boats, which score highest points in the competitions, will be declared as the champion in the league," the report quotes K K Shaju, an expert committee member.WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM?The KBL, comprising of nine races, is scheduled to kick-start sometime in August and last till October.Reports have it that the NTBR was the first to propose the idea of having a Indian Premier League-style version of Kerala's traditional boat races.THE HISTORYThe snake boat gets its name from the shape of its front end, which is bents upward like a snake serpent about to strike (use your imagination to picture it).For a race, a snake boat, usually 100-foot long, accommodates and needs around a hundred rowers to ride. The legendary Nehru Trophy Boat Race gets its name from the time when late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was invited to watch a local boat race during his visit to Kerala in 1952. 