With barely a week left for the biggest kayaking event in south India, the upland regions of Kozhikode district are already abuzz with activities.
Kayakers of national and international repute have started descending on Kodenchery, the nerve centre of activities, and their routine practice sessions on Chalippuzha are already drawing crowds in this otherwise sleepy, rain-soaked village.
Noted kayakers Ava Christensen and Annie Hodgen from the U.S. are the first international kayaking stars to report at the venue of the Malabar River Festival this season. However, a 40-member contingent from Uttarakhand, including Naina Adhikari who represented India in the Asian Championships, has been training at Pulikkayam for more than a week. The contingents from Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya are expected to report in a couple of days.
Previous editions of the Malabar River Festival had several olympians and world champions taking part in them, such as Sam Sutton and Nouria Newman. This season has some fresh talents in the offering such as Mike Krutyansky from Israel, Heidi Walsh from the United Kingdom, De Wet Michau from South Africa, and Vladislav Ryabko and Pyotr Volkov from Kazakhstan who are expected to report on Monday.
Meanwhile, the pre-events of the festival are in progress. More than 200 cyclists took part in the Monsoon Cycle Rally on Sunday. Three separate teams rode from Kalpetta in Wayanad, Areekode in Malappuram, and Kozhikode town to Pulikkayam to meet the kayakers and extend their support for the big event. A team led by Thiruvambadi MLA Linto Joseph welcomed the cyclists at Pulikkayam. Kodencheri grama panchayat president Alex Thomas presided over the event.
The MLA also flagged off the Monsoon Walk by women through the hilly terrain near Thusharagiri waterfalls.
The Malabar River Festival that includes the 9th International White Water Kayaking Championship, is being held on rivers Iruvazhinji and Chalippuzha under the aegis of the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society, the District Tourism Promotion Council and Kozhikode District Panchayat with the technical support of Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association from August 4 to 6.
