At the outset, let me wish all of you a “Happy Onam – 2026” today.

I attended the “72nd Nehru cup boat race” at Allapuzha, Kerala on 22nd August 2026. This race happens every year and is a spectacle to be witnessed, to be believed. This was one of my life long dreams and it became a reality in 2026. It was not just about attending a boat race and enjoying the same but it offered me a lot of life lessons.

If I have to summarise the key life lessons I learnt from the boat race, they would be the following :

1. Working hard with a goal in mind: The participants in the race work hard and practise for more than 2 months before they enter the race. They have to build their physique as much as their mental strength where the gap between competing boats are in milliseconds almost like a 100 metres sprint. This is in spite of more than 100 rowers rowing in sync to win the race.
2. Life is all about team work : One of the most important lessons we learn from this race is that the winning team has combined well to make the mark. Individually other teams may have excellent rowers but the team that synchronises and reaches the destination with collective efforts is the winner.
3. Emotions & passion : If you participate in the boat race even as a viewer, you realise that winning the race is combination of emotions and passion apart from team work, hard work and synchronisation. Life is no different. If we are passionate about our goals and are willing to put heart and soul into it, nothing is impossible in life. All world class sportspersons prove this in every sport. The musical beats and rhythm leave you wonder struck
4. Secularism in action: When we see the participants and the organisations supporting it, we witness secularism in action. We cannot associate any religion, caste or creed to this event. Whatever we witness in reality is what our law makers envisioned as “Secularism” in the preamble of our Constitution.
5. Goals versus means : As Gandhiji said – “ The means to the end is as important as the end in itself”. The rules of the game are clear and everyone has to follow it while striving to beat others along the way. There is real time observation through umpires and hence the means to end is as important as winning the race.
6. Sports unites communities: The boat race is an event held once in a year but this is like a festival, which unites communities rather than dividing it. The spirit of the sport is always more important than the sport itself.
7. Winning or losing is part of the game: There are multiple teams participating in the race from different cities. They compete fiercely but ultimately gracefully accept winning or losing as part of the game. Just as in life, we may win some and lose some but we need to lead life harmoniously.
8. Rich cultural heritage : The boat race happening consecutively for 72 years , year after year is a symbol of our rich and diverse cultural heritage. We not only have to be proud of it but need to preserve and promote it.
9. Fight to the finish: The boat race had a nail biting finish with the time gap between winners and loser in milli seconds. This teaches us an important lesson in life that we need to fight till the finish. We may never accept defeat till the race of life is over.
10. There is always a next time: We had one winner and many losers in the race. But the competitive spirit taught us that there is always scope for improvement and aim to win the race the next year. Winning and losing is part of the game of life too but never giving up at any stage.

S Ramesh Shankar

26th Aug 2026