Sheffield, UK - The snake boat race competition in conjunction with "Kerala Pooram 2023" will be held on the 26th of August 2023 in Manvers Lake, Wath-Upon-Dearne, UK, S63 7DG. This is the fifth National boat race organised by UUKMA (Union of UK Malayalee Associations) in the United Kingdom.

The inaugural 'Kerala Boat Race & Carnival - 2017' at Rugby Draycot Lake in Warwickshire was a tremendous success, with 22 teams racing. This was Europe's first of its sort. Karichal Chundan was rowed to victory by Worcester Themati's Boat Club, commanded by Noby K. Jose. The second boat race, "Kerala Pooram 2018," was held in 'Oxford Farmoor Reservoir' with 32 teams. In that year, Liverpool Jawahar Boat Club, rowed by Thomaskutty Francis, earned first place under the name Tayangari Chundan. They defended their title for the next two years, with a hattrick at Manvers Lake in Rotherham, near Sheffield.

The snake boat race registration is now complete. Boat clubs competing in this event will use boats named after historic Kuttanadan village names. This is to maintain the boat race heritage in the Nehru Trophy competition, which is hosted in Kerala.

As more teams have expressed interest in taking part in the snake boat competition this year, the organising committee proposes to limit the competition to 24 teams for effective execution. A final decision on this matter will be made later.

Experienced people like Jayakumar Nair, who was an active co-ordinator in Utthritathi Vallamkali at Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple in Pathanamthitta district, Jacob Koipalli, Joby Thomas who came to the UK from Kuttanad who were an active co-ordinator in different kerala Vallamkali competitions are in charge of the management and training of the kerala pooram Vallamkali team.

Each boat club will have 20 team members. Competing boat clubs, local malayali associations, various sports clubs, and corporate organizations are registered to compete.

The same model boats used in the previous year's tournament, similar to Churlan and Vepp boats in Kerala, will be used in this year's competition.
During the competition, 16 of each team's 20 members will be rowers. The other four will be stand-ins. The squad captain will be chosen from among the 20 team members. Team captains do not necessarily row in the Kerala Nehru Trophy boat race. Malayalis will make up the entire team. This includes the children of Malayali parents who were born and raised outside of Kerala. The competing teams will feature both male and female members. The organising committee provides T-shirts for all squad members. The boat race is intended to attract expatriate Malayali teams from other nations.

The Kerala pooram Boat Race will follow the same rules as the Kerala Nehru Trophy Boat Race. In the final round, 16 teams will compete. Four heats and four finals will be held. If more than 16 teams register to compete, the preliminary round will be held, and the "Final 16" teams will be chosen. There will be a women-only exhibition match in the Nehru Trophy format.

UUKMA (Union of UK Malayalee Associations), an umbrella organisation of UK Malayalee Associations founded on July 4, 2009, is organising Kerala pooram Vallamkali 2023. This distinguished organization's membership includes more than 100 associations. UUKMA is a non-profit organisation that works at the national level. Its mission is to foster fellowship among its member associations through cultural exchange involving the artistic, literary, and intergenerational needs of the Keralite community in the United Kingdom. UUKMA is also a registered charity with the UK Charity Commission. Dr. Biju Peringathara, UUKMA National President, Kurian George, UUKMA National General Secretary, and Event organiser Adv. Eby Sebastian is all working hard to make UUKMA Kerala Pooram - 2023 a huge success.

Contact Dr. Biju Peringathara (President): 00447904785565, Kurian George (General Secretary): 00447877348602, Jayakumar Nair 00447403 223066, Jacob Koippally 00447402 935193, Joby Thomas 00447985234361 for more information on UUKMA Kerala Pooram Vallamkali 2023.