25-07-2025
Kayaking takes centre stage at 11th edition of Malabar River Festival
Two 15-year-olds from Madhya Pradesh stole the spotlight on the opening day of the 11th edition of the Malabar River Festival (MRF), which began at Pulikkayam, Kodenchery in Kozhikode on Friday (July 25). Garv Kokatery and Karishma Diwan braved the turbulent rapids of the Chalippuzha river to clinch first place in the Extreme Slalom competition in the men's and women's categories, respectively.
Akshay Asok from Kerala and Ayyappan Shyam from Karnataka secured second and third places in the men's category, while Oxana Cherevchenko from Ukraine and Aayushi from Madhya Pradesh took second and third spots in the women's category. However, disputes regarding the men's category results have led to them being withheld for now.
Ms. Cherevchenko, who arrived in India as a tourist, was an accidental kayaker. With just five days of training at Kodenchery, she participated in the event and went on to win the second prize. Giovanni Giorgi from Italy, who travelled to Kodenchery from his workplace in Bengaluru, also trained for five days and made it to the quarterfinals.
The festival's rescue team also won the hearts of the crowd on Friday. Due to the high water levels in the Chalippuzha, the preliminaries of the Extreme Slalom event were conducted as a Boater X event—a simpler format. However, the risk of kayaks capsizing or participants facing mishaps remained high.
In addition to the official rescue team led by Bishnu Guru from Nepal, scuba divers from the Fire and Rescue Services were present at the venue, ready for immediate response. Rescue personnel were stationed along the length of the river, from the starting point to the finish line—some in kayaks and others onshore with bamboo poles. Professional kayakers also assisted in ensuring safety. The riverbank was barricaded to prevent public access to the water, and scuba gear, dinghies, and ambulances were on standby.
Earlier in the day, Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph inaugurated the event, with Kodenchery grama panchayat president Alex Thomas Chembakasseri presiding over the function. Cultural programmes were held at Pulikkayam in the evening.
The professional segment of the Extreme Slalom competition, which will see participation from many international kayakers, is the highlight of the second day. The Downriver Race/Super Finals will be held at Pulloorampara on the Iruvazhinji river on Sunday (July 27), the final day of the festival.
The Malabar River Festival is organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society and the Kozhikode District Tourism Promotion Council, with technical support from the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association.
