ALAPPUZHA:
Outperforming rivals by several yards amid loud cheers from spectators, Tropical Titans emerged victors yet again today at Race 10, stirring up prospects of scoring a third hat-trick in the Champions Boat League (CBL).
The evening’s winners, with a timing of 4:39.76 along the 900-metre track at the Kayamkulam backwaters, surged further up the points position at 143, taking an unassailable lead after the 10th round of the pioneering water event modelled on IPL cricket. The final race saw a photo-finish for the first and second runners-up, with Coast Dominators coming second by clocking 5:17.17 and Raging Rowers (5:17.60) ending third.
Tropical Titans yet again became the ‘Nerolac Excel Fastest Team of the Day’ with the best timing of 4:26.90 during the heats. The team, owned by Pallathuruthy Sports Club, has so far lost only the fifth round of the three-month CBL at Kochi, where Coast Dominators came a surprise first on October 5.
With two more CBL rounds left (at Kallada next weekend and the final in Kollam on November 23), the event has sprung a bright chance for Tropical Titans to score a third hat-trick if they win the coming race. The team had won hat-tricks — first in the third round at Karuvatta (September 14) and then at Kainakary (October 26).
The overall tally has Raging Rowers currently standing second with 70 points, followed by Coast Dominators (63) and, at fourth with just a point less, Mighty Oars (62). At fifth and sixth respectively are Backwater Knights (51) and Pride Chasers (44). Occupying the last three spots are Backwater Warriors (seventh, 31 points), Thunder Oars (eighth, 24) and Backwater Ninjas at the bottom with 22 points.
The Kayamkulam leg saw two instances of penalty. Backwater Warriors violated track, thus inviting a five-second addition to their timing in the second loser’s final. Backwater Knights had seven rowers not sticking to uniform, also leading to an addition of five seconds to the team’s timing at the heats.
The all-Saturday races that began at Punnamada in Alappuzha on August 31 offer prize monies totalling Rs 5.9 crore that makes CBL the country’s fourth highest-paid sports tournament. While the day’s topper secures Rs 5 lakh, it is Rs 3 lakh and Rs 1 lakh for the second and third finishers. All participating teams are entitled to Rs 4 lakh per match. The overall winner of the championships is entitled to Rs 25 lakh, followed by Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for the second and third prize winners.
The Kayamkulam leg was inaugurated by Kerala Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran was the chief guest at the function that was presided by Kayamkulam MLA U Prathibha Hari. The other VIPs on the dais were A M Ariff, MP, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Krishna Teja and former legislator C K Sadasivan besides star German footballer Patrick Owomoyela.
The CBL, with its rounds invariably being made more spectacular by cultural programmes featuring folk and classical performing arts, had cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar as the chief guest its inaugural round on the sprawling Punnamada backwaters of Alappuzha.
The races were broadcast live as usual. Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Asianet Worldwide, Asianet Plus, Hotstar, ETV Andhra Pradesh and ETV Telangana will continue to beam the future CBL rounds live for an hour from 4 pm.
The CBL (www.championsboatleague.in), billed as a game-changing initiative, seeks to professionalise Kerala’s largely scattered snake-boat races, while commercialising them without losing the conventional spirit. Tickets can be booked online through ‘Book my Show’ platform, besides 20 outlets that facilitate spot purchase of tickets. The prices range from Rs 200 to 2,000.
