THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the event organisers announced the venue, the participants of the ice-cream eating and milk-drinking competitions, along with their parents and siblings, rushed out of the Kanakakkunnu Palace on Tuesday. On a few faces, there reflected the excitement of going to have cups of ice-cream, whereas for others, it was a serious competition.
A table and several chairs were arranged outside. Crowding around the venue, all seemed anxious about their turns. One of the organisers read out a list of eight names for the first round of the ice-cream eating competition. The competition was for children in two age groups, from the age of five to 10 and from 11 to 15 years.
After which, the organiser explained the rules of the game to the children: “It is a one-minute competition. None is supposed to lift the cup of ice-cream from the table and will be given a second cup only on finishing the first. Also, do not drop it on the table. The one who eats maximum number of cups will win the competition.”
Parents surrounded the children to cheer them. To win, the children were found stuffing their mouths with scoops of ice-cream at a time. The force which they applied on getting each scoop left many ice-cream sticks broken. Ignoring it, they tried using their hands. With remnants running down their mouths, Krishnendu and Meenakshi bagged the trophy.
Next was the milk-drinking competition, where kids had glasses of milk, to which their parents commented, “how nice it would have been if they were this keen on having milk everyday at home.” Alby, who drank five glasses of milk, lifted the trophy.
Two hundred and fifty cups of vanilla ice-cream was provided by Milco, an initiative of the co-operative society, for the competition.