As the Wimbledon tennis tournament began in London on Monday (July 3), a special connection has also been established this year between the famous event and Kerala’s annual boat race.
The Wimbledon Championships played on the grass courts, has a rich history, the tournament dating back to 1877. Likewise, Kerala’s boat races are part of the state’s tradition.
Monday (July 3) was a significant date in both Wimbledon and Kerala’s boat race events. While in the United Kingdom, the tennis tournament began, back home, in Kerala, the annual boat race commenced in Champakulam of Alappuzha district.
Also read: Wimbledon 2023: Indian players, live TV, streaming, prize money, start times in IST
On this occasion, the official Twitter handle of Wimbledon shared a poster of famous tennis players including Serbia’s Novak Djokovic rowing snake boats in the backwaters of Kerala. It was captioned, “Ready for the annual boat race! Who will be lifting The 2023 Wimbledon Championships?”
The post also had words Kerala and London with a handshake emoji in between. Seeing this, netizens were excited and thankful for the organisers of Wimbledon to promote Kerala’s boat races.
Several Malayalees felt the post from Wimbledon’s Twitter handle, which has 3.9 million-plus followers, will help boost tourism in Kerala.
Watch: God’s own country gets back its snake boat league, after a gap of 2 years
Rajesh PR, a tour guide in Kerala, told New Indian Express, “It is an endorsement for Kerala’s famed snake boat races. It is also good timing as the boat race season began on Monday with the Champakulam Boat Race at the tranquil backwaters of Kuttanad.”
“It’s really exciting to see Kerala’s snake boat race being featured by Wimbledon as an official poster,” Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said.
Wimbledon is yet another major sporting event to feature Kerala, within a few months after Chelsea FC making a virtual tour of backwater paradise Alappuzha, praising the beauty of the land.
Riyas had then invited the Blues for a “real tour” of God’s Own Country, where football is loved as much as life.
Significantly, Kerala’s snake boat race receives global attention ahead of the annual Champions Boat League (CBL), held post-monsoon in different locales of the state.
Snake boat races, powered by village rowers, have been prominently featured by Kerala Tourism in international travel and tourism trade fairs and roadshows. Snake boat races have for centuries been a water sporting tradition unique to Kerala, especially the central part of the state, where the teams of young rowers vie for honours.
The long water craft, shaped like a snake and bearing the imprint of Kerala’s highly skilled boat-builders, was named snake boat by the British. The snake boat races are organised during harvesting season in the state.
According to the Kerala Tourism website, the Champakulam boat race kicks off the season and it is the oldest snake boat race in the state.
“Boat races are synonymous with Kerala’s identity and Champakkulam is a name that resonates loudly across God’s Own Country. It is the oldest Snake Boat Race in the State and kicks off the boat race season annually. The Pampa River plays host to this race held in Champakulam, a village in Alappuzha district. Held normally in June or July, the crowds it draws are enormous. Massive boats splitting the waters apart as ancient boat songs are hummed make for an exhilarating experience. This is the event that kicks off the boat racing frenzy which takes over the State for the next few months,” it said.
Kerala 🤝 London
Ready for the annual boat race! Who will be lifting The 2023 Wimbledon Championships 🏆? #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/RXFFK82Blf
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2023