Kambala: ‘Usain Bolt’ Srinivas Gowda sets record in medal haul
MANGALURU: With only one more Kambala event left in the current season, jockey Srinivasa Gowda, known as the ‘Usain Bolt’ of the folk sport, has won 42 medals in the current season, a record in the history of Kambala.
Gowda, by winning four medals in the Kambala held at Venoor recently taking his medal tally to 35, had already broken the record set by Hukkeri Shetty who had earlier won 32 medals in a season.
Later, at Paivalike Kambala in Kerala’s Kasaragod district he bagged four medals.
On Sunday, Gowda won three more medals at the Vijaya- Vikrama Kambala held at Uppinangady in Dakshina Kannada district.
The final Kambala of the season is slated to be held at Belthangady on March 7.
The Vijaya-Vikrama Kambala also created a new record for the time taken for its completion which was around 35 hours.
The Kambala, that began at 10 am on Saturday lasted till about 9 pm on Sunday and was participated by 142 pairs of buffaloes.
Kambala Samiti is set to streamline the rules and procedures in Kambala events as per the directions of the state government, which includes proper handling of the animals.
The Samiti also wants all Kambalas to be completed within a 24-hour duration, Samiti member Rajiv Shetty Edthur said.
Now only hope the pairs of Buffaloes on which Buffalo Jockey Srinivas Gowda created these “KAMBALA BUFFALO RACE RECORDS ” are spared a journey to the abattoirs as “BUFFALO MEAT” once they become old and lose their aptitude for speed or ploughing fields.