more-in To attract tourists to the charms of the rivers in Kozhikode, the annual White Water Kayaking Championship hosted by the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) at Pulikkayam in Kodenchery panchayat will be included in the tourism calendar of Kerala. District Collector U.V. Jose, who is also the chairman of the DTPC, said on Friday that the Tourism Department had agreed to include the Kayaking event in the tourism calendar. He said the fresh initiative would globally popularise the Kayaking destination, and fetch its benefits directly to the rural people. Mr. Jose, who announced the plan while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the International White Water Kayaking Championship at Pulikkayam on Friday, asserted that the DTPC would ensure the future development of the spot to an international level with better training facilities and accommodation for participants. District panchayat president Babu Parassery, who welcomed the gathering, said the local panchayats that had been playing a major role in hosting the event would be given more financial support from the next fiscal. He also pointed out that Kayaking was offering big tourism opportunities for the district to go international, and it should be tapped through all possible means. Earlier, former Indian volleyball team captain Tom Joseph inaugurated the championship. George M. Thomas, MLA, chaired the function. Heads of various local self-government institutions and representatives of international kayaking teams were present. Programme coordinators said there would be competitions in various categories such as downriver, Boater Cross, Slalom, Rapid Raja, Rapid Rani and Indian Subcontinent. Safe stretches of Chalippuzha, Iruthullippuzha and Meenthullippara have been selected as venues, where Indian and foreign Kayakers will vie for titles. The winners would be awarded prizes during the valedictory ceremony at Pulikkayam on July 23, they said.

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