Nehru Trophy Boat Race 2026: Aroma Chundan wins title in thrilling final
Aroma Chundan emerged victorious in the 72nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on Saturday, securing the title in a closely fought final.
The Aroma Chundan, rowed by the Aroma Boat Club, clocked 4:23.328 to finish first. Nadubhagam Chundan came second in 4:23.448, while Veeyapuram Chundan finished third in 4:23.770. Melpadam Chundan was fourth with a time of 4:24.015.
The final was decided by just 0.120 seconds, with Aroma holding off a strong challenge from Nadubhagam in the closing stages.
Aroma makes winning debut
The victory marks a remarkable debut season for both Aroma Chundan and the Aroma Boat Club. The new chundan was launched this year under the leadership of the Aroma Business Group.
The boat had already made a strong start to the season by winning the Champakkulam Moolam Boat Race, setting the stage for its Nehru Trophy campaign.
The club is led by Kollam-based Aroma Group chairman P K Sajeev, who serves as its president. Sajeesh Kurup is the secretary and Aneesh Jacob is the treasurer.
Sajeev had previously served as captain of Karichal Chundan. His family's interest in the sport, including that of his son and actor Ranjith Sajeev, led to the formation of the new boat club and the commissioning of its own chundan.
The victory also marks a significant moment for Kollam, with the district celebrating its first Nehru Trophy victory through Aroma Chundan.
Nadubhagam finishes second
Nadubhagam Chundan, rowed by the PBC Punnamada-NCFC Boat Club combination, finished just behind the winner.
Nadubhagam had put up a strong challenge in the final after reaching the deciding race through the heats. Its final time of 4:23.448 left it only 0.120 seconds behind Aroma.
Veeyapuram Chundan, representing UBC Kainakary FC, finished third, while Melpadam Chundan of Pallathuruthy Boat Club took fourth place.
How the finalists emerged
The four finalists were selected from six heats based on the best timings.
UBC Kainakary's Veeyapuram won the first heat in 4:20, finishing ahead of Thalavady, Sree Vinayakan and Ayaparambu Pandi. Despite recording the fastest time in the heats, Veeyapuram eventually finished third in the final.
Champakkulam Boat Club won the second heat in 5:06, ahead of Diwanji Boat Club, Nattakam FC and Vellamkulangara SH Boat Club. However, Champakkulam did not qualify for the final based on its timing.
Melpadam of Pallathuruthy Boat Club won the third heat in 4:14, narrowly beating Nadubhagam, which recorded 4:16. Both boats advanced to the final on the basis of their timings.
Aroma Chundan won the fourth heat in 4:27, finishing ahead of ST Pius, Karichal Thekkekara BC and Cheruthana Nattakam BC. The result secured Aroma's place in the final.
NBC Niranam won the fifth heat, while Anari BC topped the sixth. Neither boat managed to qualify for the final.
71 boats compete at Punnamada
The 72nd Nehru Trophy Boat Race was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at Punnamada Lake on Saturday.
A total of 71 boats, including 22 chundan vallams, competed across different categories.
The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is one of Kerala's major cultural and sporting events. It traces its origins to 1952 and is traditionally held at Punnamada Lake on the second Saturday of August, although the date can be changed in specific years.
The event draws thousands of spectators to Alappuzha every year. The district administration had put elaborate security, traffic and crowd-management arrangements in place for Saturday's race.
The race showcases Kerala's traditional boat-racing culture, with teams relying on coordinated rowing and precision to drive the long snake boats through the waters of Punnamada.
Nehru Trophy winners in recent years
According to the list of previous winners, Veeyapuram won the 2025 edition, while Karichal took the title in 2024. Veeyapuram had also won in 2023.
Mahadevikad Kattil Thekkethil won in 2022, while Nadubhagam was the champion in 2019. Pallathuruthy Boat Club had several winning entries in the years before the latest edition.
The 2026 victory now puts Aroma Chundan on that list in its very first season.