Kila Raipur Rural Olympics from Jan 30; bullock cart race to resume after 11 yrs
Villagers elated over announcement; CM Mann to attend event, says DC
The state government has announced to organise the Rural Olympics at Kila Raipur from January 30 to February 1. A major highlight will be bullock cart races, which will take place on all three days of the event. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will also attend the games.
Villagers are elated after the announcement of the bullock cart races, which had been banned by the Supreme Court in 2014 citing cruelty to animals.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Himanshu Jain announced the same. He was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Amarjit Bains, SDM (Ludhiana East) Jasleen Kaur Bhullar and key members of the Kila Raipur Sports Society (Patti Suhavia), including president Col Surinder Singh Grewal and general secretary Gurwinder Singh.
He said to ensure that all rules were being followed for the conduct of bullock cart races, a high-powered committee had also been formed by the district administration. The committee would ensure compliance with instructions issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the state government from time to time, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2019.
He said for the third consecutive year, the state government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, was organising the Rural Olympics at Kila Raipur village.
Jain, while releasing the poster of the famous Kila Raipur Rural Olympics-2026, said on the first day of the games, on January 30, the schedule will include hockey match (boys open category), a hockey match (girls open category), 1,500m (boys) final, 1,500m (girls) final, 400m boys heats/final, 400m girls heats/final, 60m race primary school boys, 60m race primary school girls, bullock cart races. There will also be various cultural performances during the opening ceremony.
He said that January 31, there will be hockey match (boys open semi-final), hockey match (girls open semi-final), kabaddi circle style (boys), shot put (boys), shot put (girls), kabaddi circle style (girls), kabaddi National style U-17 (girls), 100-m boys heats, 100 meter girls heats, bullock cart races, long jump boys final, long jump girls final, 100M boys final, 100m girls final, tug of war boys and bullock cart races (from 4 pm).
He said on February 1, kabaddi national style U-17 girls, bullock cart races (from 10am), kabaddi circle style one village open (boys), shot put (boys) final, 200m boys heats final, 200m girls heats final, high jump boys final, shot put (girls) final, 800m boys final, 800m girls final, high jump girls final, 2,000 meter cycle race boys, 2,000m cycle race girls, 100m race men (65+ Years), 100m race men (75+Years), 100m race men (80+Years), trolley loading unloading, tricycle race, bullock cart races (from 5 pm).
He said famous Punjabi singers would also entertain the audience by performing during the three days of the games.
The Deputy Commissioner also urged the people to participate in large numbers in the gamws to take its popularity to new heights.
President of Kila Raipur Sports Society Col Surinder Singh Grewal thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, state government and the district administration and said people were happy with the restarting of bullock cart races at Kila Raipur. He also assured that all instructions issued by the Director Animal Husbandry, Punjab, and the district administration during the bullock cart races would be taken care of completely.
He said members of Kila Raipur Sports Society had also been included in the committee formed by the administration regarding the bullock cart races.
He appealed to the sports lovers globally to attend these games with enthusiasm and boost our spirits. He also appealed to bullock cart unions of Majha, Doaba and Malwa and said they all must participate in bullock cart races at Kila Raipur and follow rules set by the government.
Entries for bullock cart races will be received only till 2 pm on January 29.
Fought battle for 10 years: Grewal
President Grewal said the committee had fought the battle for the resumption of bullock cart race for almost 10 years. Entire state, especially villagers, are elated over the announcement of the race. In fact, prospective participants have already started doing practice in the ground at Kila Raipur.
