Main role was played by the buffaloes and owner: Kambala jockey Srinivas Gowda

Main role was played by the buffaloes and owner: Kambala jockey Srinivas Gowda

Bengaluru: “I never thought I will run this fast. The main role was played by the buffaloes and the owner. He (owner) looked after the buffaloes very well. I believe the buffaloes can run ever faster,” is what Srinivas Gowda, a jockey in the traditional buffalo race of Kambala said on being felicitated by Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa.

Gowda was presented with a cheque of Rs. 3 lakh and is eagerly awaited by officials from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for eligibility trials. However, Gowda is in no hurry as he wants to complete the Kambala season first and only after March 10 will he approach the SAI officials.

Professor K Gunapala Kadamba, President, Kambala Academy tells India Today TV that Srinivasa has brought much needed attention to the traditional rural sport of Kambala and that they are waiting to see him complete in national and international forums such as the Olympics. But he says that one cannot compare Srinivasa Gowda and Usain Bolt as both run in different grounds. “We can’t compare Usain Bolt to Srinivasa Gowda. Even tomorrow, if Bolt participates in Kambala, he cannot be like Srinivasa Gowda,” he added.

Gowda completed a 142-metre slushy track in a mere 13.62 seconds but holding onto 2 buffaloes. It was their momentum and speed that propelled him to these speeds is what experts claim. In the track that he competed in, there is a laser beam network system with electronic timings at the finish point but for the start, it is still manually operated. This Professor Kadamba says will change from the next Kambala season so that there is much greater accuracy and transparency.

SAI is eagerly watching young Gowda and are hoping he does well in the track trials. Capt. Ajay Kumar Bhal, senior director, SAI says that they need to first assess him on the track since he has been running barefoot in slushy fields and not on hard ground with shoes and spikes. “First he needs to be conditioned from a rural kind of running to a more formalised kind of running,’ he says and added the young boy has shown he is talented. If all goes well at the trails, SAI authorities will have to work on his nutrition, supplements, diet, biomechanics, physiology and much more to find out where all if he is lagging.”

The state government is ready to provide Gowda will all the necessary support to see him excel and bring laurels to the nation. “We are ready to provide him with training. After the eligibility tests with SAI, we will provide him with all what is needed,” CT Ravi, Kannada and Culture minister stated.