President Pratibha patil on Saturday enjoyed the panoramic beauty of Kerala’s backwaters and the sporting spirit of the villagers as the chief guest at the annual Negur Trophy Boat Race held at Punnamada lake near Alappuzha.
In a brief inaugural address before the 58th edition of the country’s premier water sporting event, Patil said the boat race reflected “the team work in action.”

This was a beuatiful sporting event where the victory was the result of the spirit of competition, co-operation and co-ordination among the team members, she observed.

She said the tourism potential of the sylvan settings of Alappuzha district should be harnessed fully based on a scientifically prepared master plan with its emphasis on sustainable development.

The President also extended hearty Onam greetings to the people of Kerala. She was presented with the replica of a ‘chundan vallam’ (snake boat) by the organisers.

Governor R S Gavai,Union Ministers Selja, Vayalar Ravi, state Home and Tourism Minister Kotiyeri Balakrishnan, Health Minister P K Sreemathy and K C Venugopal, MP, were present on the occasion.

Nehru trophy boat race is held on the second Saturday of August every year, commemorating the boat ride of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru through the backwaters of Travancore nearly six decades back.

The team emerging as winner in the ‘snake boat’ category would be presented with the silver trophy bearing the singature of Nehru.

Competitions are alsos held in various other smaller categories of country boats, where the men and women rowers representing various village boat clubs in the area display their skills of oarsmanship.

Patronised by local gentry in the area in the past, the event is now organised with the support of the government. of late, the event has also become a major tourism occasion attracting visitors from all over the world to the hub of country’s water tourism.