Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 10: Kambala enthusiasts are eagerly expecting that the bill providing for holding Kambala, a traditional folk sport of coastal Karnataka, will get presidential assent next week. They are hopeful of organizing Uppinangady Kambala on March 18 and Venoor and Bangady Kambalas which fall during the next two weeks thereafter.

The bill, the leaders have gathered, has already been forwarded by the union home ministry to the departments of environment and law. After scrutiny, they will be sent for signature of the President.

Undivided Dakshina Kannada district Kambala Samiti president, Shantaram Shetty Barkur, treasurer, P R Shetty and Ashok Rai Kodimbady are scheduled to visit New Delhi on March 13 in an effort to push for early nod for the bill. The delegation plans to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, along with union minister for statistics and programme implementation, D V Sadananda Gowda, parliamentary affairs minister, Anant Kumar, MPs, Veerappa Moily, Nalin Kumar Kateel, Shobha Karandlaje and others in an effort to plead with him to give his assent to the Kambala bill at the earliest.

President of Uppinangady Vijaya-Vikrama Jodukare Kambala Samiti, K S Ashok Kumar Rai Kodimbady, said in a press conference on Thursday that he has high hopes of getting central government's nod for holding Kambalas by next week.

Nandavar Umesh Shenoy, Shashikumar Rai Balyottu and Chandrashekhar Madiwala were present at the press conference.