Chaliyar river to be permanent venue for CBL: Tourism Minister
Calicut / October 24, 2023
Kozhikode, Oct. 24: The Chaliyar river along the city will be a permanent venue for Champions Boat League (CBL) amid the government’s efforts to expand the IPL-model water festival up the state, Tourism Minister Shri Mohamed Riyas said today.
The mouth of the 170-km river has the historical Feroke bridge that makes it an ideal venue for such a championship, he said ahead of inaugurating the boat-races for the smaller ‘churalan’ boats as part of the CBL Season-3 being organised by Kerala Tourism.
This evening’s races, which were held between the 140-year-old bridge and the new bridge, saw nine churulan boats from the northern districts of Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod vying for prize monies of Rs 20 lakh. Sree Vayalkara Vengat came first, while AKG Podothuruthi-A Team and New Brothers Vayalkara, Maiycha finished second and third respectively.
The Minister, noting that the Chaliyar bridges act as a gateway to Kozhikode, dismissed apprehensions that the venue, 12 km south of the city, was unviable for CBL-3 races. “We had during the previous (CBL-2) championships decided to hold boat-races at Chaliyar subsequently. By early next year, the Feroke bridge will be illuminated in ways that will give it the looks of a city like Paris,” he added, amid cheers from the crowd. “Our plan is to find newer venues for CBL. Kerala Tourism has been envisaging packages and products that can woo travellers to the state irrespective of its seasons.”
Feroke Municipality Chairperson Shri Abdul Razak presided over the function, where actor Asif Ali was the special guest. Others present were legislators Shri Thottathil Ravindran, Shri K.M. Sachin Dev and Shri P.T.A. Rahim and Kozhikode Mayor Smt Beena Philip, besides civic-body councillors, and senior officials of various government departments. District Collector Shri Snehil Kumar Singh welcomed the gathering, while the event’s organizing committee Convener Smt Radha Gopi proposed thanks.
The other teams this evening were AKG Mayicha; Sree Vishnumoorthy Kuttivayal; Red Star Karyamkod; AKG Podothuruthi-B Team, Krishnapilla Kavumchira, Navodaya Mangalassery. Most of these had participated in the CBL-allied races held on September 9 near Dharmadam along a one-km stretch between Mammakunnu bridge and Muzhappilangad kadavu.
The 32-foot churulan boat with 30 rowers has its bows rising at both ends, and one-fourth the length of the snake-boats (chundan vallams) with around 100 rowers and defining the main section of the 12-leg CBL races that have five more weekend races left. Today’s races were interspersed by water sports and cultural pageantry on floating stages.
The next (eighth) race of nine snake-boats of CBL-3 will be held this Saturday at Karuvatta (Alappuzha district). The subsequent races will be on November 18 (Kayamkulam, Alappuzha), November 25 (Kallada, Kollam) and December 2 (Pandanad, near Chengannur in Alappuzha) before the final on December 9 (at Kollam, along with the President’s Trophy).
