Champions Boat League: Kerala’s snakeboats to set sail for another season of fierce rivalries

The rhythmic splash of oars, the roar of cheering crowds and the breathtaking sight of majestic chundan vallams (snakeboats) slicing through the waters are set to return with all their festive fervour in Kerala. The Champions Boat League (CBL), organised by Kerala Tourism, is gearing up for its fifth season this week, promising to enthral boat race buffs with a string of high-octane contests, fierce rivalries, and the timeless spirit of Vallamkali.

Snakeboats that secured the top nine positions based on timings in the 2025 Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) have qualified for CBL-V. This season, the league will feature 14 races, beginning on the Pampa river at Kainakary in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, on September 19. The nearly three-month-long pan-Kerala event is set to conclude with the President’s Trophy on Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam on December 6.

As the countdown to the new season begins, boat race buffs are on the edge of their seats, wondering if anyone can finally halt the Pallathuruthy Boat Club’s (PBC) roaring juggernaut. For four seasons in a row, PBC has reigned supreme in the CBL, steering different snakeboats to the coveted crown with unrelenting dominance.

Yet, the waters promise a high-voltage showdown this year. The Village Boat Club (VBC), Kainakary, has already thrown down the gauntlet by shattering PBC’s dream of a double hat-trick in the NTBR, clinching the title in the 71st edition held on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on August 30, 2025.

Concerns over Budget allocation

While CBL-V promises a tight contest, the declining fund allocation for the league in the State Budget over the years has raised concerns. The 2025-26 Budget has earmarked ₹8.96 crore, a decrease from previous years.

“Boat clubs have spent large amounts of money to prepare for the CBL. The bonus and prize money should be disbursed without delay. Otherwise, we will fall into a financial crisis,” said Suneer A., working president of Pallathuruthy Boat Club.

Organisers, meanwhile, said they were in the process of finding sponsors for CBL.

Besides the Kainakary opener and the President’s Trophy finale, the other 12 races of the CBL season will be held at Dharmadom in Kannur (date yet to be announced), Thazhathangadi in Kottayam (September 27), Cheruvathur in Kasaragod (October 2), Piravom in Ernakulam (October 4), Marine Drive in Ernakulam (October 11), Beypore in Kozhikode (October 19), and Kottappuram in Thrissur (October 25). They will be followed by races at Pulinkunnu (November 1), Karuvatta (November 8), Pandanad (November 15) and Kayamkulam (November 22) in Alappuzha and Kallada in Kollam (November 29).

Boat clubs and snakeboats participating in CBL-V

1. Village Boat Club, Kainakary (Veeyapuram)

2. Punnamada Boat Club (Nadubhagam)

3. Pallathuruthy Boat Club (Melpadom)

4. Niranom Boat Club (Niranom)

5. Kumarakom Town Boat Club (Payippadan 1)

6. Emmanuel Boat Club (Naduvileparamban)

7. Karichal Chundan Boat Club (Karichal)

8. Thekkekara Boat Club, Mankombu (Cheruthana)

9. Changanassery Boat Club (Champakulam)