CHANDIGARH: Bullock cart races are set to make a comeback at the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics in Ludhiana after a 12-year hiatus, with the games scheduled to be held from January 30 to February 1. The races will take place on all three days of the event, and around 100 bulls are expected to take part.
Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana Himanshu Jain said a high-powered committee has been formed by the district administration to ensure that all rules are strictly followed during the conduct of the races. He said the committee will ensure compliance with instructions issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the state government from time to time, as well as provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2019.
Jain also released the poster of the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics-2026 and announced the schedule and calendar of the games. He said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also attend the event.
President of the Kila Raipur Sports Society (Patti Suhavia) Surinder Singh Grewal (Retd) said all instructions issued by the Director Animal Husbandry, Punjab, and the district administration would be followed completely during the bullock cart races. He said members of the Kila Raipur Sports Society have also been included in the committee formed by the Ludhiana district administration.
The medical teams stationed at the venue will examine the animals at the start of the race and certify that they are fit to take part in the race, as they have no injury and all other aspects will be taken into account. Also thejockey’’ who will with the bull the committee will watch and make sure he does not do any cruelty of the animal,’’ said Grewal.
Appealing to bullock cart unions from Majha, Doaba and Malwa regions, Grewal urged them to participate in the races and strictly follow government rules, noting that entries will be accepted till January 29. "We are expecting that around 100 bulls will take part in the bullock cart races.The public is excited with the restarting of bullock cart races at Kila Raipur,’’ he said, while appealing to sports lovers across the world to attend the games with enthusiasm.
Bullock cart races were banned in 2014 following directions from the Supreme Court of India, dealing a major blow to the popularity of the rural sports festival and sharply reducing tourist footfall. Their revival became possible after the Punjab government passed a bill in the state Assembly on July 11 last year, allowing the resumption of the races under regulated conditions. While the state government has been organising the Kila Raipur Games in recent years, the event was held without its signature attraction.
The Kila Raipur Rural Games, also known as the Rural Olympics, began in 1933 in Kila Raipur village of Ludhiana. Earlier organised by the Kila Raipur Sports Society, the games have been conducted by the state government in recent years.