Special Kambala Training Witnesses Eager Participation
News and Pics: Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network – Moodbidri (PS/SB)
Moodbidri, May 27: With the object of giving fillip to kambala, the folk game of Tulunadu that faces scarce availability of buffalo racers, a training camp for the racers was held in the town, for the very first time.
The training programme was organized by Gunapala Kadamba and his team. About 50 young men participated.
On Wednesday morning the campers wearing pink headgear, green shirt and shorts looked like men on a mission to bring back the glory of kambala. A seven-kilometre marathon from Shirlalu Nalkuru Narasingh Rao School to Jarkala Mundli Road was also held on the occasion.
To get the taste of toughness in kambala, the racers were made to run behind a bike with a rope tied to the vehicle. Uniform and food were provided free of cost.
Kambala Conservation and Training Academy is led by Gunapala Kadamba with Bantwal Mahakalibettu Seetharam Shetty, Kukkundoor Ravindra Kumar, Renjala Suresh K Poojary, John Cyril D’Souza, Prasad Kumar Idu, Sanoor Shreedhar K Achar, Umesh Karkera, Adiraj Jain Allipade, Nataraj Hegde Bommarabettu and Subhashchandra Padivala being the backbone of the academy.
Already the owners of kambala buffalos have planned to attract new racers to their troupe.
The first phase of the training camp ended on Thursday May 26. The camp involves ‘yoga’, massaging buffalos, physical exercise, physiotherapy, oration, group games and cultural programmes.
Gunapala Kadamba said that the training camp, organised at a cost of Rs three to four lac, has received an encouraging response and set the right tone for the next kambala.
One of the trainees, Allipade Purushotthama, said the camp included all sorts of training that helped one to perfect the art of buffalo racing. One has to usually struggle under professional buffalo racers to learn the tricks of the sport as the latter have paucity of time to teach the craft. The camp will help sustain and develop the essence of folk games of the region, he added.
The valedictory ceremony on Thursday May 26 saw the participation of Vinay Kumar Sorake, Bantwal MLA B Ramanath Rai, former MLA Sunil Kumar and Alva's Education Foundation chairman Dr M Mohan Alva among others.
Yoga Guru Narendra Kamath, physical directors Ranjith and Anni M, camp directors Appu alias John D’Souza, Sanoor Shreedhar Acharya, Belvai Sadananda Shetty, Mahakalibettu Sitaram Shetty, were felicitated.
Special invitees Mulki Payyottu Sadashiv Salian, Nandalike Shreekanth Bhat, Raghuchandra, Devendra Kotian were also honoured.