The boys from Uttarakhand gave an impressive performance in the recently concluded Malabar River Festival at Kozhikode in Kerala.
Ayodhya Prasad, a native of Srinagar (Garhwal) was the star performer from the mountain State and clinched three gold medals to bring cheers to sports fans in this part of the world.
Ayodhya Prasad clinched gold in Kayak slalom race, downriver race and boater cross-country to complete his hat-trick of gold medals in the meet. Rishi Rana claimed the silver medal in boater cross race and bronze medal in downriver race. Sanjay Rana secured third place in the kayak slalom race and Bhupendra Rana won bronze medal in the boater cross race. Incidentally, Rishi, Sanjay and Bhupendra, all hail from Sarasu village (Pauri), which has earned a name for producing rafting guides in Uttarakhand.
Organised jointly by Madras Fun Tools and the District Promotion Tourism Council, (DTPC) Kerala, the Malabar River Festival was hosted with the aim of promoting water sports in India. It was hosted on the Chalipuza and Iruvanjipuza rivers (about 35 kilometers from the major town of Kozhikode). Kayak slalom, boater cross, rodeo as well as a separate group of events for beginners was hosted in the competition.
The winners received prize money that ranged from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000 with the overall champion winning the amount of Rs 60,000. On the experience Ayodhya Prasad said, “Everyone worked extremely hard but, most importantly had a very enjoyable time. Kayaking is growing rapidly in popularity across the nation so keep an eye out for more events like this one across the country.”