Tropical Titans win 7th race of CBL-2, score hat-trick at Kainakary

• Mighty Oars come 2nd, local favourites Coast Dominators finish fourth
Alleppey / October 22, 2022

Alappuzha, Oct. 22: Tropical Titans scored a hat-trick at the Champions Boat League (CBL-2) today by winning three consecutive weekend races at the IPL-model tournament, pushing Mighty Oars into the second position by rowing with incredible vigour in the last 50 metres of the water track at Kainakary in this coastal district.

Mighty Oars (traditionally NCDC, Nadubhagam) maintained a clear lead in the first 700 metres of the one-km race, but had to be eventually contended with the second position owing to a spirited last-lap show by the reigning champions, originally named Pallathuruthy Boat Club. Rowing the famed ‘Mahadevikad Kattil Thekkethil’ snake-boat, Tropical Titans (4:03.45) outshone Mighty Oars (4:05.30) and snatched a magical victory, much to the thrill of the crowd at CBL-2 being organized by Kerala Tourism.

Equally excitingly at today’s seventh race of the league, Raging Rowers (Kerala Police Boat Club, Champakulam), who had finished second at Kottapuram in Thrissur district last Saturday, finished third here with a timing of 4:17.30. At the heats earlier this evening, they threw immense challenge at Tropical Titans, but could not maintain the form in the final.

Ending fourth were local favourites Coast Dominators (UBC Kainakary) even as the team took out what was by far their best performance in CBL-2.

Ripple Breakers (Punnamada Boat Club, Veeyapuram) finished fifth, followed by Pride Chasers (Vembanad Boat Club, Payippad). Backwater Warriors (Town Boat Club, St Pious Tenth) ended seventh, ahead of Backwater Knights (Village Boat Club, Devas). Finishing last today were Thunder Oars (KBC-SFBC, Ayaparambu Pandi) — a far cry from their October 1 performance of being third at Kochi’s Marine Drive.

The next round CBL-2 is slated at Thazhathangadi in Kottayam district on October 29. The final of the nine-boat event is at Kollam on November 26.

With the Kainakary races, Tropical Titans (68 points) continue to stay on top of the overall tally. The reigning champions are followed by Mighty Oars (60) and Raging Rowers (52). Ripple Breakers are at the fourth with 50 points, and next are Pride Chasers (42). Coast Dominators (36) stand sixth, while Backwater Warriors (24) come seventh, closely followed by Thunder Oars and Backwater Knights with 23 points each and sharing the eighth slot.

Finance Minister Shri K.N. Balagopalan inaugurated the Kainakary races. Present at the function were Agriculture Minister Shri P. Prasad, Shri Kodikkunnil Suresh, MP, and Shri Thomas K. Thomas, MLA, besides members of civic bodies.

 

Each participating team will get Rs 4 lakh in every league match. Besides, the winner will get an additional Rs 5 lakh, followed by Rs 3 lakh for the runner-up and Rs 1 lakh for the second runner-up.

The CBL-2 venues after next Saturday’s Thazhathangadi are Pandanad near Chengannur (November 5), Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district (November 12) and Kallada in Kollam district (November 19) before the finals in Kollam.

The inaugurals of the league in Alappuzha on September 4 saw Tropical Titans winning the race as part of the 68th edition of the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race on the sprawling Punnamada Lake, out-rowing Mighty Oars in a photo-finish. The November 26 finals at Kollam will coincide with the famed President’s Trophy.

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