# Nehru Trophy Boat Race

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is an annual vallam kali held in the Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha, Kerala, India. Vallam Kali or Vallamkaliy literally means boat play/game, but can be translated to boat race in English. The most popular event of the race is the competition of Chundan Vallams (snake boats). Hence the race is also known as Snake Boat Race in English. Other categories of boats which participate in various events of the race are Churulan Vallam, Iruttukuthy Vallam, Odi Vallam, Veppu Vallam (Vaipu Vallam), Vadakkanody Vallam and Kochu Vallam.

## History

This Boat race has its origin in the Kerala district Alappuzha and was inaugurated in 1952 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The winner was awarded a trophy in the name of Jawaharlal Nehru.
In 2019, Nehru Trophy Boat Race was also made a part of the newly constituted CBL - Champions Boat League and Star Sports Network become its television broadcasting partner.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons of the league were dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024 the edition was postponed due to Wayanad landslides and held on September 28.

## Winners

As a Club United Boat club Kainakary(UBC Kainakary) won the most number of trophies in Nehru Trophy boat Race With 2 hattrick. Karichal chundan has the most number of Nehru trophies, a total of 16. The current hat-trick title for continuously winning 5 times in a row is held by Pallathuruthy boat club . The fastest Snake boat was won by Karichal chundan rowed by Pallathuruthy Boat Club in the 2024 Boat Race with a time of 4.14.35
| Year | Club | Winners | Captain | Reference |
| 1952 | Nadubhagam Boat club | Nadubhagam Chundan | Chacko Mappila Maathu Mappila | |
| 1954 | Kavalam team | Kavalam Chundan | Thomman Joseph | |
| 1955 | Nedumudi NSS Karayogam | Paarthasarathi Chundan | KG Raghavan Nair | |
| 1956 | Kavalam team | Kavaalam Chundan | Thomman Joseph | |
| 1957 | Ponga Boat club | Nepoleon Chundan | Joseph Cheriyan | |
| 1958 | Ponga Boat club Kavalam Boat Club | Nepoleon Chundan Kavalam Chundan | Cheriyan Joseph TJ Job | |
| 1959 | Ponga Boat club | Nepoleon Chundan | Cheriyan Varghese | |
| 1960 | Kavalam boat club | Kavalam Chundan | Maathachan | |
| 1961 | Ponga Boat club | Nepoleon Chundan | Cheriyan Varghese |
| 1962 | Kavalam boat club | Kavaalam Chundan | TJ Job |
| 1963 | U.B.C Kainakary | Kainakary Chundan | PK Thankachan | |
| 1964 | U.B.C Kainakary | St. George Chundan | PK Thankachan | |
| 1965 | U.B.C Kainakary | Parthasarathi Chundan | PK Thankachan | |
| 1966 | Pulinkunnu boat club | Pulinkunnu Chundan | Thommichan |
| 1967 | Pulinkunnu boat club | Pulinkunnu Chundan | Thommichan | |
| 1968 | U.B.C Kainakary | Parthasarathi Chundan | PK Thankachan | |
| 1969 | Pulinkunnu boat club | Pulinkunnu Chundan | CC Chakko | |
| 1970 | U.B.C Kainakary | Kallooparamban Chundan | Varghese Antony | |
| 1971 | Kumarakam boat club Champakulam boat club | Kallooparamban chundan Pulinkunnu Chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan Chakkamma Kannotuthara | |
| 1972 | Kumarakam boat club | Kallooparamban Chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | |
| 1973 | Kumarakam boat club | Kallooparamban Chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | |
| 1974 | Friends boat club | Karichal chundan | PC Joseph | |
| 1975 | Friends boat club | Karichal chundan | PC Joseph | |
| 1976 | UBC Kainakary | Karichal chundan | PK Thankachan | |
| 1977 | Thayankari boat club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | KS Varghese | |
| 1978 | Thayankari boat club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | KS Varghese | |
| 1979 | UBC Kainakary | Aayaparambu Valiya Diwanji Chundan | Ravi Prakash | |
| 1980 | Pullangady boat club | Karichal chundan | Ramachandran | |
| 1981 | No Winners | No Winners | No Winners | No Winners |
| 1982 | Kumarakam boat club | Karichal chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | |
| 1983 | Kumarakam boat club | Karichal chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan |
| 1984 | Kumarakam boat club | Karichal chundan | Nellanickal Pappachan | |
| 1985 | Friends boat club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | PC Joseph | |
| 1986 | Village boat club, Kainakary | Karichal chundan | Sanni Akkarakkalam | |
| 1987 | Village boat club, Kainakary | Karichal chundan | Sanni Akkarakkalam | |
| 1988 | Pallathurathi boat club | Vellamkulangara Chundan | TP Rajbhavan |
| 1989 | UBC Kainakary | Champakulam Chundan | AK Lalasan | |
| 1990 | UBC Kainakary | Champakulam Chundan | AK Lalasan | |
| 1991 | UBC Kainakary | Champakulam Chundan | AK Lalasan | |
| 1992 | Sreelakshmana boat club | Kallooparamban Chundan | VN Velayudhan | |
| 1993 | UBC Kainakary | Kallooparamban Chundan | C G Vijayan Mampalathuchira | |
| 1994 | Jet Airways | Champakulam Chundan | Antony Akkarakkalam | |
| 1995 | Alappuzha boat club | Champakulam Chundan | Jos Jhon | |
| 1996 | Alappuzha boat club | Champakulam Chundan | Anil Madhavan | |
| 1997 | Navajeevan club | Alappat Chundan | KP Poul |
| 1998 | Pallathuruthi boat club | Champakulam Chundan | Domanic Kuzhimattom | |
| 1999 | Kumarakam town boat club | Alappat Chundan | Sampath Kaniyamparampil | |
| 2000 | Alappuzha boat club | Karichal chundan | Bency Moonnuthickal | |
| 2001 | Friends boat club | Karichal chundan | Tobin Chandy | |
| 2002 | Kumarakam boat club | Vellamkulangara Chundan | Sanny Jakob | |
| 2003 | Navajeevan boat club | Karichal chundan | Thampi Podippara | |
| 2004 | Kumarakam Town boat club | Cheruthana Chundan | Raju Vadakkath | |
| 2005 | Kumarakam Town boat club | Payippad Chundan | Raju Vadakkath | |
| 2006 | Kumarakam Town boat club | Payippad Chundan | Raju Vadakkath | |
| 2007 | Kumarakam Town boat club | Payippad Chundan | Kunjumon Meluvallil | |
| 2008 | Kollam Jesus Boat Club | Karichal chundan | JiJi Jacob Pollayil | |
| 2009 | Kollam Jesus Boat Club | Champakulam chundan | JiJi Jacob Pollayil | |
| 2010 | Kumarakam Town Boat Club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | Joseph Philip | |
| 2011 | Freedom boat Club | Karichal chundan | Jiji Jacob Pollayil | |
| 2012 | Freedom boat Club | Sri Ganesh Chundan | JiJi Jacob Pollayil | |
| 2013 | Harippadu Star Boat Club | Sri Ganesh Chundan | Arun Kumar | |
| 2014 | United Boat Club Kainakary | Chambakulam Chundan | George Thomas | |
| 2015 | Kumarakam Vembanad Boat Club | Jawahar Thayankari Chundan | Jameskutty Jacob | |
| 2016 | Kumarakam Vembanad Boat Club | Karichal chundan | Jameskutty Jacob | |
| 2017 | Thuruthippuram Boat Club | Gabriel Chundan | Ummen Jacob | |
| 2018 | Pallathuruthi Boat Club | Payippadan Chundan | James Kutty Jacob | |
| 2019 | Pallathuruthi Boat Club | Nadubhagam Chundan | Narayanankutty N Udayan | |
| 2022 | Pallathuruthi Boat Club | Mahadevikadu Kattil Thekkathil | Santhosh Chacko |
| 2023 | Pallathuruthi Boat Club | Veeyapuram Chundan | Alan Moonnuthickal | |
| 2024 | Pallathuruthi Boat Club | Karichal chundan | Alan Moonnuthickal |