KOLLAM:
Tropical Titans retained their Champions Boat League title, scoring a hat-trick by finishing first at the finals of the third season (CBL-3) today amid a poor show by Coast Dominators who had otherwise been the black horses in the 12-leg water festival organised by Kerala Tourism.
With 116 points, Tropical Titans (rowing Veeyapuram snake-boat owned by Pallathuruthy Boat Club) stood atop the overall tally, followed by Coast Dominators (Nadubhagom Chundan of UBC Kainakary Club) at 109. Raging Rowers (Police Boat Club on Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekethil) mustered 89 points to finish third. The champions won Rs 25 lakh, while Rs 15 lakh went to the runner-up. The team finishing third got Rs 10 lakh.
Tropical Titans timed 4:18.96 here in the finals, which also meant their clinching the President’s Trophy that customarily coincides with the last race of CBL. Raging Rowers came second (4:19.83) and Ripple Breakers (Punnamada Boat Club on Karichal) finished third at 4:22.83, displaying excellent spirit that won loud cheers from the spectators.
Today’s victory also meant a sweet revenge for Tropical Titans, who could come only second here last year in the final of CBL-2. That time, Mighty Oars won the race, winning the President’s Trophy boat-race. Even so Tropical Titans emerged the overall CBL-2 champions by topping the overall point rally in 2022.
This evening, only an unexpected surprise could have snatched Tropical Titans their chance of a hat-trick CBL victory. With professionalism, they let no sabotage happen at the Ashtamudi lake alongside the city. In fact, Coast Dominators failed to qualify for the finals this time, having performed below-bar in the heats.
The final race saw all three teams surging forward with immense strength, with Raging Rowers taking a lead past halfway the track. However, with their disciplined oarsmen, Tropical Titans had the last laugh. The championship had nine snake-boats in total.
The prizes were distributed by Shri N.K. Premachandran, MP, and legislators Shri M. Mukesh and Shri M. Noushad. The Air Force came up with dazzling formations up the sky, while the final races got added glitter from jet-ski and cultural pageantry.
Shri Premachandran inaugurated both the CBL-3 final and the President’s Trophy races at the ceremony chaired by Shri Mukesh, MLA. Present on the occasion, besides Shri Noushad, were Kollam Mayor Smt Prasanna Ernest, Air Marshal Balakrishna Manikantan (chief guest), District Panchayat President Dr P.K. Gopan and Collector Shri Devidas N., besides members of civic bodies, Tourism Department officials and top functionaries of the CBL.
Tropical Titans have been CBL champions in its previous editions (2019 and ’22). CBL Season-3 began on August 12 at Alappuzha, with the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race.
