Kerala’s 2026 Champions Boat League will reach its final race on Saturday, 21 November, when the President’s Trophy Boat Race returns to Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam.
Kerala Tourism’s current schedule confirms the Kollam event as the 11th and final race of Champions Boat League Season 6, bringing the league that began in September to a close.
For Gulf Malayalis visiting Kerala in November, the event offers a chance to experience one of the state’s major snake-boat races in a setting very different from the better-known Alappuzha race venues.
When and where?
Date: Saturday, 21 November 2026
Venue: Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam
Event: President’s Trophy Boat Race
Championship: Champions Boat League 2026 finale
Kerala Tourism currently continues to list 21 November on both its Champions Boat League calendar and November festival schedule.
The exact race-day programme and spectator arrangements should still be checked closer to the event.
Where does the race take place?
The President’s Trophy is held on the Ashtamudi backwaters in the Thevalli area of Kollam.
Kerala Tourism describes the racecourse as running from around Thevalli Bridge/Palace towards the boat jetty or houseboat-terminal side near the KSRTC area, over a course of roughly 1.2 km.
That places the event close to central Kollam rather than at a remote backwater location.
Still, race-day crowds and traffic can make normal journeys slower, so visitors should allow extra time.
Why is this race different in 2026?
The President’s Trophy is not simply a standalone Kollam boat race this year.
It is the season finale of Champions Boat League Season 6.
Nine snake boats are competing in the 2026 league:
Aroma Chundan
Nadubhagam Chundan
Veeyapuram Chundan
Melpadom Chundan
Niranam Chundan
Arppookara Chundan
Cheruthana Chundan
Punyaalan Niranam
Thalavady Chundan
The Kollam race therefore has two layers:
the President’s Trophy itself and the final outcome of the wider CBL season.
One race still comes before Kollam
As of 12 November, the season is not yet finished.
The next scheduled race is at Kayamkulam on 14 November, followed by the President’s Trophy in Kollam on 21 November.
That means MalluMetro should avoid declaring the overall CBL champion before the remaining races are completed.
Recent results show different boats have been competitive across the season, including Aroma Chundan, Melpadom Chundan and Veeyapuram Chundan.
What is at stake in the league?
Kerala Tourism says the winner at each CBL race receives ₹5 lakh, with ₹3 lakh for second place and ₹1 lakh for third.
Each participating team also receives a ₹4 lakh bonus.
At the end of the season, the overall CBL champion receives ₹25 lakh, with ₹15 lakh and ₹10 lakh for the next two positions.
That gives the Kollam finale significance beyond the atmosphere of a single race day.
What can visitors expect?
The defining sight is the chundan vallam, or snake boat, moving through the water with large teams of rowers working in rhythm.
Kerala Tourism describes the President’s Trophy as one of the state’s major snake-boat spectacles, with spectators gathering along the Ashtamudi shoreline as crews race towards the finish.
The combination of synchronized rowing, boat songs and the lake setting is what makes the race very different from watching a conventional stadium sport.
A little history
The President’s Trophy dates back to 2011.
Kerala Tourism says the event received its name after then-President of India Pratibha Patil attended the inaugural race at Ashtamudi Lake.
It later became part of the Champions Boat League, placing the traditional Kollam event inside Kerala Tourism’s wider competitive boat-racing season.
Planning to attend?
Kerala Tourism recommends arriving early for the President’s Trophy, particularly for visitors who want a good viewing position.
Before travelling, check:
- the confirmed race start time;
- official viewing or seating arrangements;
- whether any areas require passes or tickets;
- local parking and traffic restrictions;
- public-transport changes; and
- weather conditions on the day.
Do not assume that every viewing area is either free or ticketed until organisers publish the current arrangements.
Getting to Kollam
The race takes place close to central Kollam, making rail and bus travel practical options for some visitors.
Kerala Tourism lists Kollam Junction Railway Station and the local KSRTC network among the access options for the Ashtamudi area.
Visitors arriving from elsewhere in Kerala should still leave extra time on race day because congestion around the lake and viewing areas can increase as the event approaches.
Why this could be a useful November Kerala trip
Ashtamudi is usually associated with:
backwater cruises, houseboats, lake views and quieter tourism.
The President’s Trophy changes that atmosphere for a day.
The lake becomes a sporting arena, with teams, spectators and traditional boat-racing culture taking over the waterfront.
For someone already visiting southern Kerala in November, it can therefore be combined with a wider Kollam or Ashtamudi stay rather than treated as an isolated event.
MalluMetro Take
The President’s Trophy is a fitting end to the Champions Boat League because the setting is as important as the competition.
For most of the year, Ashtamudi is promoted through the language of quiet backwaters.
On 21 November, the same lake becomes loud, competitive and crowded as Kerala’s snake boats race through Kollam.
And because this is the final scheduled CBL race of 2026, the event is about more than who crosses the line first that afternoon.
It also closes a season that has moved through eleven venues across Kerala.
For anyone planning to attend, the key details are:
21 November 2026 · Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam · President’s Trophy Boat Race · Champions Boat League finale.
Check Kerala Tourism and local organiser information again closer to race day for the final timing, access and spectator arrangements.
Verified sources: Kerala Tourism Champions Boat League schedule, President’s Trophy event listing and November 2026 festival calendar.