You may have watched or participated in various sports events be it at the School, State, regional, National or International level in the recognised and popular sports.
Kila Raipur Sports Festival 2016
But have you have watched sports with a local rural flavour to it. Yes I recently happened to attend one sports festival at Grewal Stadium at Kila Raipur which over the years has now become very popular and has been termed as the Rural Olympics. Kila Raipur is a small village about 20 km from Ludhiana. The Sports Festival is held every year as a four day event.
The 800 meter race for women at Kila Raipur Rural Olympics
Some of the sports events are the same as the ones popular elsewhere like to 100 to 800 meter races etc. A keenly participated event was the 100 meter track race for the persons above the age of 70!
The 70+ race was a keenly contested & watched event at Kila Raipur
I could not believe when I saw these 70+ years young sprint with so much zeal and stamina. It does remind one of Fauza Singh who even at 104 years still participates in marathons.
The cycle race at the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics
There was a cycling race also though not in a velodrome but on the athletic tracks itself.
This man got the loudest cheers from the crowd
Though most had racing cycles and proper athletic gear and dress the loudest cheer was for the local guy who had the ordinary cycle (which used to be a norm for commuting in India for School kids and still does for lot many workers) and normal day wear clothes. Infact several people announced cash rewards for this person!
The tricycle race at Kila Raipur Sports Festival
Then there were also tricycle races for the physically handicapped.
Kabaddi rural style at the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics
Another event which is also an international sport originating from India is Kabaddi. But the Kabaddi that you observe in the events and the Kabaddi played at Kila Raipur varied a lot. First of all the size of the Kabaddi ground was huge (at least half the size of a football field in a circle). Watch this video for the game and the size of the field.
A short video of rural Kabaddi at Kila Raipur Rural Olympics
Secondly, there are four players to a team but once a player touches the player of the opposing side then it remains a fight between only two contestants as a one to one duel and not a fight of four against one. And all the players were bare-chested and one could see the ripping muscles at work!
I would be writing another post on the unusual sporting events at the Rural Olympics of Kila Raipur.
