KOZHIKODE: The District administration which signed an MoU with the organizers of the Malabar River Festival is yet to clear the prize money and other amounts spent for the conduct of the festival last year. Now the organisers who are all set to host the fourth edition of the festival at Thusharagiri on July 29 to 31, are apprehensive over inviting international Kayaking champions to perform.
According to the Director of Madras Fun Tools Manik Teneja, the organiser of the Malabar River Festival since its origin in Kozhikode, the MoU clearly stated that the role of District Administration was to bear all the financial liability of the festival, which was aimed at promoting Thusharagiri as an attractive tourist spot and welcoming international sports like Kayaking and rafting to the land.
“Since we have disappointed the players who participated last year, we don’t expect any champions this year to perform”, Manik said. The organisers this year have come forward to conduct the programme without clubbing with either the District administration or with the District Tourism Promotion Council.
“One more meeting will be conducted with the District Collector who has refused to pass the previous bills, after which we will announce that we will host the programme with the help of funds collected from well wishers”, he said.
Even the local people who have worked for the conduct of the fest were paid after six months and the bills incurred on hospitality have not yet been paid. “If we are confident enough to conduct the festival, we will invite international rafters, but to our surprise, even before the announcement of the dates, we have received interest from more than 30 Kayakers and rafters to participate in the fest from around the globe,” he added.
As in previous years, the fest touted as ‘Asia’s biggest whitewater competition’, will be organised at Thusharagiri and on Iruvanjhipuza. Over the previous years, international athletes including Joe Morley (from the U.K.) — two-time champion of the Adiédas Sickline World champion, Sam Sutton (New Zealand) three-time world champion, Mike Dawson (New Zealand) Olympian and World Cup Slalom Champion Max Benetton (Italy) competed with each other.
