Rotherham - The 5th UUKMA National Snake Boat Race, conducted by the Union of UK Malayalee Association, is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, August 26th. The 26 teams participating are working hard to become the Champion. Manvers Lake in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, will host the competition. Wooster Themmadi's, the first champion, and Jawahar Boat Club of Liverpool, the second three-time champion, are not competing this year.
Boat Club Teams registered to compete in the race are given the names of Kuttanad villages in accordance with the Chundan Vallamkali tradition in Kerala. In the first round, 26 boats will compete in 9 heats. In which three teams compete in eight heats in total, and two teams compete in one heat.
The top two teams from each heat (a total of 18 teams) will progress to the second round. Then, in six matches, three teams will participate. The first-place finishers from the six second-round matches will advance to the semi-finals, which will be followed by two semi-finals with three teams each. The matches are set up so that the top two teams from each semi-final proceed to the finals with four teams. Three teams will compete in each heat from the first round until the semi-finals, and four teams will compete in the final.
The teams competing in the preliminary heats were chosen randomly. The names of the competing boats, teams, boat club, and captains are shown below.
Heat 1:
Puthukkari - United Boat Club, Sheffield, Raju Chacko
Ayaparambu - West Yorkshire Boat Club, Wakefield, Thomas Jos
Nadubhagam - WMA Boat Club, Swindon, Melvin Mathew
Heat 2:
Edathva - Scunthorpe Boat Club, Scunthorpe, Shyju P Varghese
Mambuzhakari - Kettering Boat Club, Kettering, Arun Sebastian
Heat 3:
Ambalapuzha - Amma Boat Club, Mansfield, Linu Varghese
Kodupunna - BKCA Boat Club, Barnsley, Manu Satheeshan
Cheruthana - AMA Boat Club, Wales, Milton John
Heat 4:
Kavalam - BMA Kombans Boat Club, Bolton, Monichan Kizhakkechira
Anari - Antony Boat Club, Warrington, Jojo Joseph
Payipad - Lion King Boat Club, Rochdale, Jimmy Babu
Heat 5:
Pulinkunnu - SMA Boat Club, Salford, Mathew Chacko
Punnamada - BCMC Boat Club, Birmingham, Sirosh Francis
Vembanad - Carewell Foundation Boat Club, Birmingham, Deepak Thomas
Heat 6:
Kumarakom - Royal 20 Boat Club, Birmingham, Benny Maveli
Karuvatta - Sri Vinayaka Boat Club UK, Jagadish Nair
Kainakari - GMA Boat Club, Gloucestershire, Bliss Paul Manavalan
Heat 7:
Ramankari - WMA Boat Club, Wigan, Binoj Chirathara
Tayamkari - BMA Boat Club, Bassetlaw, Joychen Thayamkari
Kumarmkari - Salisbury Boat Club - Salisbury, Shal Panketh
Heat 8:
Karichal - Seven Stars Boat Club, Coventry, Babu Abraham Kalapurakal
Nedumudi - Rotherham Boat Club, Rotherham, Justin Abraham
Champakulam - WAM Boat Club, Wednesfield, Jacob Punnus
Heat 9:
Kidangara - NMCA Boat Club, Nottingham, Savio Jose
Kaipram - Nuneaton Boat Club, Nuneaton, Sajeev Sebastian
Vellamkulangara - B&H Boat Club, Haywards Heath, Biju Pothanicad
Cambridge City Council Deputy Mayor, Councillor Baiju Thittala Varkey, will be the Chief Guest at the 5th Uukma Keralapooram Vallamkali. Sujith Bhaktan, a YouTube vlogger, will be the special guest. The event will also be attended by Malayalam film actors Kalyani Priyadarshan, Joju George, and Chemban Vinod Jose.
UUKMA President Dr. Biju Peringathara, General Secretary Kurian George, General Convener Adv. Eby Sebastian and all National Committee members cordially invite all UK Malayalees to join the boat race event and enjoy the Kerala art performance. The event is only accessible with a pass. There will be parking available. Manvers Waterfront Boat Club, Station Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S63 7DG, is the location of the boat race.