Prize money of Malabar River Festival winners delayed again

Foreign athletes at Malabar River Festival face delayed prize money payments, raising concerns about event's reputation and future participation.

The delay in payment of prize money to foreign athletes has become a recurring issue at the annual Malabar River Festival (MRF). Five months after the 10th edition concluded at Kodenchery in Kozhikode, some winners are still awaiting their remuneration.

The 10th edition of MRF was held from July 25 to 28, 2024. New Zealand’s Manu Wink Wackernagel was crowned the Rapid King, while Marisa Kaup from Germany earned the title of Rapid Queen. In the Indian category, Naina Adhikari and Amit Thapa from Uttarakhand were recognised as best paddlers in the women’s and men’s categories, respectively.

Mr. Wackernagel and Ms. Kaup were presented with a cheque worth ₹1.2 lakh at the valedictory function. However, they are reportedly unable to encash the cheque as the organisers, Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), is yet to release the amount.

“This is quite shameful for MRF as well as Kerala Tourism. The delay in paying foreign athletes has been a recurring issue at the festival. However, in previous editions, the payment was not delayed beyond a month, until last year,” said Manik Taneja, technical director of the festival.

During the 9th edition of the festival in 2023, KATPS reportedly took over three months to pay foreign winners, citing rules on transferring prize money to foreign athletes and a sudden change in the regulations of the Reserve Bank of India for the delay.

“If that is the case, how are cricketers participating in events in India getting remunerated instantly? Even athletes taking part in other kayaking events across the country are paid on time. The issue seems to be specific to Kerala Tourism,” said Paulson Joseph, one of the coordinators of the event.

Mr. Taneja expressed concerns about the damage to the reputation of the event due to the issue. “If this continues, foreign kayakers will be reluctant to participate in the event in the future,” he added. Chief Executive Officer of KATPS Binu Kuriakose was unavailable for comments.