ALAPPUZHA: The boat race-crazy people of Kuttanad have begun betting for their favourite boats participating in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race to be held at Punnamada Lake on Saturday. They pick the possible winners like United Boat Club, Kainakari, Sree Ganesan and Village Boat Club, Kumarakam, and bet with the rivals. The winners get a full bottle of liquor, sumptuous food or even money ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000. Some losers may have to go with shaved heads or without moustaches.
For people like Charles Joby, a daily wage worker in Kannadi, Santhosh, a farmer of Nediyanikkal and Dineesh Kochuthara of Pulinkunnu, there is no boat race without betting. "I lost a bet on a full bottle of MH last year," Joby said. "This is our craze. The betting usually happens in the last week of the race when trials reach the final round. The people huddle near river banks to see the practice sessions.
"When we see the vibrancy of each boat club, we take sides that eventually end up in betting," Joby said. According to Vinod Karichal, a boat race lover, the betting is less now with the race becoming individual instead of by karas (areas). "Several groups bet to booze. While youngsters choose top liquor brands, elders settle for one or two bottles of toddy," he says. The local people say the number of bets will increase in a day or two with it peaking on the penultimate day of the event.
