F1H2O boat race to be held every year

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurating the much-touted F1H2O boat race here at Punnami Ghat on the banks of River Krishna announced that the world-famous boat race would be held every year.

The Chief Minister flagged off the fifth round of Grand Prix F1H2O amidst fanfare and grandeur. The participating teams started the trial round of race which is a precursor to the actual race which would commence on Saturday and conclude on Sunday. This is the 35th series of F1H2O world championship being conducted for the first time on River Krishna here.

After inaugurating the boat race, the chief minister along with his wife Nara Bhuvaneswari, minister Lokesh, his wife Brahmani and son Devansh boarded a boat and went around waving the national flag to the audience present on the other side of the Punnami Ghat.

A sizable number of people also gathered on the Prakasam Barrage to watch the spectacle. The traffic on the Prakasam Barrage was suspended for a few hours which would recur also the second and third day of the boat race competitions.

The audience was allowed to witness the boat race inauguration ceremony from the other side of the Punnami Ghat. Due to the faux pas by the Information and Public Relations department, many journalists were not allowed to get inside. However, the higher officials intervened and set things right.

Later, the Chief Minister also inaugurated an industrial meet which is scheduled to be conducted for the next two days to provide a platform to investors on various investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh since the state has ample of opportunities and tourism is one of the key sectors.

The Chief Minister said that it is our motto to attract global tourists and with the World Championship boat race we have created the space for global tourists. “It is an honour for the State as the world would be watching us through F1H2O,” he added.

Delivering the welcome address Principal Secretary of Tourism department Mukesh Kumar Meena said that it's a great opportunity to build the brand name of Amaravati at global standards.

Himanshu Shukla, CEO of AP Tourism Authority, proposing a vote of thanks thanked Chief Minister for his encouragement and support to the dream to host this international World Championship F1H2O. He said that in fact it is a dream coming true that we are successfully hosting F1H2O here.

Minister for IT Nara Lokesh, Deputy Chief Minister Chinarajappa, Minister for Tourism Bhuma Akhila Priya, Minister for Water Resources Umamaheshwar Rao, Ministry for Civil Supply P Pullarao, Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad, were also present during the inaugural ceremony.