Alappuzha: The Champions Boat League (CBL) will be a 'trimmed affair’ this time due to an acute shortage of funds; the authorities are planning to conduct fewer races instead of the usual 12 legs.
The league is modelled on the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“There is an acute shortage of corpus funds. At present, we only have Rs 7 crore. We are also finding it hard to get sponsors. However, we will conduct the event, as it has become a key item in the tourist calendar. What we are considering now is to hold six rounds,” a senior official said.
Usually, the opening leg of the event, featuring the iconic snake boats (chundan vallam), is held at the Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha alongside the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, which is scheduled for August 12.
However, this time, the CBL committee is yet to hold a meeting, and no schedule has been announced.
“We’ll hold the meeting in three weeks, probably after the Nehru Trophy. The plan is to conduct CBL around November when the tourism season peaks,” the official added.
The organisers are looking to prune the expenses. A Kochi-based PR firm was handling the campaign and media tie-ups on previous occasions. However, they are yet to be contacted this time.
Demand for change in qualification process
The stakeholders have demanded a change in the selection criteria currently being followed. The top nine teams and boats during the last edition of the Nehru Trophy qualify for the opening round this time.
“The problem is that often the teams change; people may switch over to another club or paddle for another boat. And with limited funds, it’s very difficult to conduct many practice sessions. So it would be ideal if the winners (team and boat) of the first nine positions in Nehru Trophy this year qualify for the CBL,” said Ajith Kumar Pisharody, vice-president of Thalavady Chundan Samiti.
Teams worried over CBL ‘delay’
Meanwhile, the participating teams said the CBL must be held soon after the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
“We run a 45-day practice session for the Nehru Trophy, costing Rs 1 crore. If the CBL is delayed and held towards the end of the year, we have to restart the practice and do it for another 45 days,” said Padma Kumar Puthenparambil, the captain of United Boat Club, Kainakary.
“Another issue is that most of the team members have taken a break/leave from their professions/education. The uncertainty over the schedule announcement is affecting them. There is a chance that major players won’t be available if the event is delayed further and the same will make the races less colourful,” he pointed out.
The event is usually held across 12 venues, including those in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kottayam and Kollam.
