Kochi: CBL funding a major hurdle

Kochi: The IPL-model Champions Boat League has ratcheted up enthusiasm amo-ng sports lovers and those associated with snake boat races like rowing teams and boat owners.

However, the authorities will have to address the concerns over funding of the mega event after failing to properly market it.

The issue came to the fore when the auction for franchisee rights of nine teams evoked poor response forcing the authorities to postpone the process itself on Thursday.

“The organisers missed the trick by marketing boat clubs instead of ‘snake boats’ as brands. Those associated with the field know boat club teams change every then and now. The leading captains shift loyalty every year as can be seen in events like Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR). Marketing a brand like ‘Kaarichal Chundan’ or ‘UBC Kainakary’ would have seen a far better response from sponsors,” said K.R. Krishna Kumar, a boat race- lover hailing from Harippad associated with the snake boat racing in the region.

Also, fixing `1.5 crore as base price for a team in the auction process has backfired, especially when the financial market is going through a lean period.

“It’s ideal for authorities to conduct the auction a day after the NTBR as then they can tap the market better and convince the sponsors of the acceptability of boat races among the masses. Also the Kerala tourism should go for one-year contract instead of the proposed five-year agreement with franchisee and rowing teams,” he opined.

Another point of debate was the confusion over the selection process of the nine clubs contesting in the CBL.  “The selection based on last year’s NTBR results will only result in complaints. Instead, they could fix the NTBR results of this year itself as the qualification benchmark,” he said.

AUCTION AGAIN THIS MONTH

Tourism director P. Bala Kiran has allayed concerns over the future of CBL. He told this paper in Alappuzha that the government was prepared to conduct CBL as per schedule even if no franchisee turned up.

“We planned to rope in franchisees aiming to generate more revenue and facilities for boat clubs. The government has allocated enough funds to the tourism department for the CBL and we have declared `5.5 crore as prize money for the boat clubs.  The auction will be held again by end of this month. The dearth of bidders is no big deal. Even IPL and Pro-Kabadi League did not have enough auctions initially. Likewise, the CBL auction too will be on the track soon,” he said.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had said in June that at least Rs 40 crore would be spent for CBL though only a Rs 20-crore revenue was expected. The government will subsidise the CBL to make it a `130-crore sporting-brand within five years, he said.

Ajayagosh, president, Vembanad Boat Club, said, “we had a prior agreement with the government that the CBL teams would not rope in individual sponsors since franchise was promised by the tourism department for all teams. If there no back up by franchisees, the boat clubs will run short of money. We hope the government would find out a solution soon,” he said.

Sunil Padmanabhan, captain of United Boat Club (UBC), said the CBL will sail through since the government has set apart enough funds.

The CBL has generated a great deal of enthusiasm among boat clubs and rowers. More youngsters below 25 have joined rowing which was once monopolised by farmers and fishermen.

As many as 1,000 youngsters from Kuttanad are practising for various clubs.  Instead of the traditional style of rowing (paddling with songs), there is now more discipline and professionalism in selection.

Jinu Joseph, an ITI student from Mankompu, said he had been working in the gym to make a mark in the CBL. An A-grade rower of St. Pious Boat Club, he expects more remuneration for his skill and talent without worrying about franchisees. The idea of league-based boat races was conceptualised by the former UDF government in December 2015 to benefit the 2,500-odd rowers and carve out a niche tourism product for the state.

The LDF government wanted to launch it on the model of Indian Premier League and invite franchises to run the boat clubs.  Thereafter, the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) Society in 2017 set up a feasibility study team chaired by former lawmaker C.K. Sadasivan which approved races by nine top boat clubs.

Christened as ‘Champions Boat League’ (CBL), the three-month-long event was planned to be launched along with the 66th edition of NTBR in 2018. But the entire plan was washed out by the August floods.