Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 24: This season will begin with the first Kambala, which is culturally rich adventure sport of coastal Karnataka, at Kakkepadavu in Bantwal taluk.

Kambala has been a popular folk sport of the region. Kambala is organized in three districts, Udupi, Kasargod, and Dakshina Kannada.

As per the time table, about 18 Kambalas are planned in these districts from now on till March next year. About 150 pairs of buffaloes take part in these Kambalas.

Preparations are on in full steam for organizing Kambalas in the respective villages. Kambala, which faced threat in the recent past because of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) moving the court, is now being held with certain modifications and on the basis of law passed by the state government. Thousands of people participate in the Kambalas, and this time, drone cameras are being used to help people get to witness live coverage of the proceedings.

PETA had argued that animals are being tortured in the name of fun in these Kambalas and demanded to ban this sport.

The people who will be competing in Kambalas have been undergoing training along with the buffalo pairs since about a month. President of district Kambala Samithi, P R Shetty, said that the participating buffalo pairs are being given training on land to pack them with more power.

In the past, buffalos and bullocks were used to prepare and cultivate agricultural lands. This sport took shape for fun during the time the farmers had no work. Shashikumar Rai of Vijaya Vikrama Jodukere Kambala said that this time, Pilikula Kambala will also be organized by Dakshina Kannada district administration.