Friday 11 March 2016

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics – the unusual sporting events

In the earlier post I wrote about the sporting events at Kila Raipur Rural Olympics.

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Horse racing

Other unusual sports event I saw was the tractor race. After all in the Punjab rural area how can you have any event, sporting or otherwise, without a tractor!

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Tractor race

Then there was a tractor tyre race. Some of you may have done a cycle tyre race in your childhood but imagine doing it with the huge tractor tyres!

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Horse Cart Race

Another one was the horse cart race. Also there was a horse race as well. But all these were more in the form of sprints at the stadium itself. I think to make it more interesting the cart and the horse races could be made long distance races.

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Nihang rides two horses

Then I saw a Nihang who rode (standing with each foot on a horse) on two horses and galloped at a great speed. What has been popular here at the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics events over the years has been the race of the bulls but I believe due to the intervention of an NGO and on the orders of the court this sporting event was not allowed to be held this year. There was a huge protest against this on the last day of the event when I saw several hundred people march with the bulls and raised slogans against the NGO and the court order. By that logic all races involving any animals (and not only bulls) should be banned whereas horse race and horse cart races were held. Do only bulls qualify for the animal rights protection and not any other animal?

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Muscle power

There was a competition between two teams on unloading and reloading a tractor trolley full of sacks weighing a quintal each in the fastest time. And how could the competitions be complete without the Tug-of-War. The funny part of one of these was that the rope itself broke in two and both the sides’ participants fell on the ground.

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Tug-of-war

Other unusual sporting events that I saw were guys pulling a bike, car etc by their teeth.

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Man lifts a sack by his teeth

Another one lifted a bag full of vegetable by his teeth. Then there was a guy who stopped two bikes to move in opposing directions by the bicep muscle power. 

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Muscle power

There was a man in a sitting position on whom a six quintal load was put.

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - 6 quintals on the man

There was a show of stunts on the Royal Enfield’s by several men and one woman.

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Bike stunts

The games meant competition but also fun and frolic and the stadium was full and surprisingly there were lot of female spectators as well. 

Kila Raipur Rural Olympics - Women spectators

I saw only one race which was for the girls else all others were for the men. But then I attended the event only on the last day. Maybe some events for the females happened on the earlier two days. 

I would attend the full event next year!

Also read: Kila Raipur Rural Olympics