Moodbidri: Bhootanatheshwara Sports Meet Concludes on High Note
Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)
Pics: Reshma Mangalore
Moodbidri, Feb 20: The three-day Sri Bootanatheshwara Rural Sports Festival, which was held near Shastavu Sri Bhootanatheshwara Temple at Yedapadavu village near Mijar, concluded on Sunday February 19. The meet succeeded in showcasing culture and rural games of Tulunadu.
The rural sports events conducted here succeeded in attracting lots of people from near and far places including bigger cities like Bangalore. Thousands of sports enthusiasts thronged the venue to take part and enjoy the rare privilege offered to take part in these competitions and introduced to them to the games prevalent during the times of their forefathers. In total, 64 different sports competitions were conducted.
At the awards function organized on the evening of Sunday, certificates, trophies, and cash prizes were distributed to winners. The organizers said that cash rewards totalling nine lac rupees were distributed on the occasion.
MLA and chief whip of the opposition in the assembly, K Abhaychandra Jain, expressed elation at the fact that Yedapadavu village, which had hitherto been unheard of by most of the people in the state, has become a household name within a span of two years, on account of successfully organizing this sports meet. Former minister and JDS leader, Amarnath Shetty, Dakshina Kannada Congress president and MLA, Ramanath Rai, BJP leader, Jagadeesh Adhikari, Chief Minister, D V Sadananda Gowda’s son, Kartik Gowda, chairman of Coastal Development Authority, B Nagaraja Shetty, and others handed over prizes.
Ramanath Rai, who presided over the function, noted that the sports festival here has been attracting lot of attention everywhere. He said that the government has not extended any facility or support to the festival, and urged the concerned to construct a good road to the venue at least. He promised to work in tandem with Jain towards ensuring that the event gets government’s support.
Chief organizer of the event, Vijayanath V Shetty, welcomed. Head of Bhootanatheshwara Bhajana Mandali, Kantappa Shetty, delivered introductory address. Navin Hegde and Premanath Shetty read out lists of winners.
Various competitions like bicycle race, decoration of cows, pretty rooster, bidi rolling competition, slushy field race, race in the slushy field by men with their wives on the back, etc were held on Sunday.