Rapid Raja Manu Wackernagel and Rapid Rani Marissa Kaup at the valedictory function of Malabar River Festival at Elanthukadavu on July 28.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Rapid Raja Manu Wackernagel and Rapid Rani Marissa Kaup after they completed the Down River race of the Malabar River Festival at Elanthukadavu on July 28.
Manu Wackernagel from New Zealand and Marissa Kaup from Germany emerged as Rapid Raja and Rapid Rani respectively as the 10th edition of Malabar River Festival concluded at Elanthukadavu in Thiruvambady grama panchayat here on (July 28) Sunday. The duo received a cheque worth ₹1,20,000 from Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes O.R. Kelu.
In the Downriver Race, Mr. Wackernagel came first followed by Benjamin Jacob (France), Eirik Hansen (Norway), and Paulo Ronka (Italy) in the men’s category. Martina Rossi (Italy) and Daria Kuzishcheva (Russia) came second and third behind Ms. Kaup in the women’s category.
Indian paddler category
Meanwhile, Naina Adhikari and Amit Thapa, both from Uttarakhand, turned out to be the best Indian paddlers in the event. They received a prize money of ₹80,000 each. Daman Singh and Ashish Rawat (both from Uttarakhand) bagged the second and third places in the best Indian paddler category-men while Priyanka Rana (Uttarakhand) and Bindu.N (Karnataka) came second and third respectively in the women’s category.
Arjun Rawat from Uttarakhand and Adam Mathew Sibi from Kerala were adjudged the best Under-21 male talents while Pranjila Shetty and Dhrithi Maria Pious, both from Karnataka, were adjudged the best Under-21 female talents.
Valedictory ceremony
Inaugurating the valedictory ceremony of the festival, Mr. Kelu pointed out how clean public places and well-behaved citizens were the key factors in promoting tourism in the State. “We were once an agrarian community. But now tourism has become our main source of income. We should be able to make the best use of our resources and tourism projects,” he added. MLA Linto Joseph, who presided over the event, said the Tourism Facilitation Centre at Pulikkayam would be developed as the centre of adventure tourism in north Kerala.
Chief Executive Officer of Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) Binu Kuriakose and Deputy Director of Tourism Satyajit Sankarwere present on the occasion.
The four-day long International White-water Kayaking Championship, dubbed as the biggest in south India, was organised by the KATPS in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council and the Department of Local Self-Government in Chalipuzha and Iruvazhinji rivers. Meenthullipara in Chakkittapara panchayat, Pulikkayam in Kodenchery panchayat and Elanthukadavu in Thiruvambadi panchayat were the venues. Hundreds of kayakers from all over India besides 13 international kayakers from seven countries took part in the festival.