KOCHI: The government of Kerala is set to organise the first-ever Champions Boat League (CBL), an IPL-style tournament across the state which will involve boat race across nine teams, IANS reports.
The CBL aims to draw more tourists from the sport and will begin on 10 August this year with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race in Alappuzha. The event will end with the President’s Trophy Boat Race in Kollam on 1 November, with 12 races during weekends from 2.30-5 pm.
The districts earmarked for the competition are Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram.
The winning team will be awarded with Rs 2.5 million, while the second and third placed teams will receive Rs 1.5 million and Rs 1 million respectively.
Kerala Tourism Minister K Surendran said that it is searching for sports management companies who can handle the commercial mandate of the event till 2024.
“We want the CBL to be a world-class tourism product capable of attracting thousands of tourists. Further, the league championship will help boat clubs financially. The players become more skilled. That will inspire a whole new generation of them,” Surendran told IANS.
