Date:29/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/29/stories/2006072904520300.htm

Kerala - Alappuzha

Kuttanad clubs determined to return to winning ways

Staff Reporter

`Absence of proper coaching had cost them dear'

Alappuzha Town Boat Club is the first boat club to start training sessions for the current season

`Care to ensure that all team members are present at the coaching session on all days'

ALAPPUZHA: The boat clubs in the heartland of Kuttanad that once reigned supreme in the boat races in Central Travancore, but have lost their eminence to boat clubs from Kottayam in recent years, are determined to succeed this season.

Kayamkulam MLA and the former captain of the United Boat Club, Kainakary, C.K. Sadasivan, who flagged-off the training of the Alappuzha Town Boat Club at Champakkulam on Friday expressed confidence that the boat club would give the clubs in Kottayam tough contest in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

The Alappuzha Town Boat Club is the first boat club to start training sessions for the current season.

The other boat clubs in Kuttanad are likely to commence training in the coming days.

`No shortcut'

"We have realised that there is no shortcut to victory and only systematic training can help us return to winning ways," he said. Mr. Sadasivan said the absence of proper coaching and lack of discipline among rowers of the boat clubs in Alappuzha had cost them dear.

All the 113 rowers of the Alappuzha Town Boat Club assembled at Champakkulam to take part in coaching that began on Friday.

The former volleyball international and coach of the Indian team Kalavoor N. Gopinath is the captain of the town boat club. N. Atmajan is the acting captain.

Mr. Sadasivan said normally the training session was confined to a week.

"This time we will train for 12 days," he said. Mr. Sadasivan said the emphasis would be to train them in synchronised rowing.

He said care would be taken to ensure that all team members were present at the coaching session on all days.

"Most of the rowers of the town boat club are regular rowers and they need only to be fine-tuned," said the MLA.

He said a considerable number of members of the UBC Kainakary, which won the Nehru Trophy several times, would be in the town boat club team this time.

The rowers of the club held poojas at a temple of the SNDP Yogam at Champakkulam before commencing the training programme.

Mr. Sadasivan handed over the oars to the rowers.