The Rural Olympics

There are only twenty days left before the ICC World Cup begins. Cricket is religion in India but not for all of them. Few from the northern state of India are more interested in rural games played in the villages of India. This state is obviously Punjab and games are Annual Rural Olympic Games. Kila Raipur is a small village in Punjab where these Rural Olympic Games are held every year since 1933. This is also known as the Kila Raipur Sports Festival. This year also festival was held between 1st and 4th of the February and no national newspaper took any note. At least in the western part of India where I live there was no news of this.

I have never been to Punjab but have seen enough of movies to imagine how it feels or you sense when you are in a Punjabi village. Dull green and yellow maize farms and hand pumps, intoxicating aroma of the motherland and patriotic spirit of Punjab. And most amazing are the people of Punjab. Healthy, strong and beautiful Punjabis never they shy to flex their wrists. When I look around me at the people of Gujarat and meditate over I understand why this Olympics are possible in the village of Punjab only and not in Gujarat or any other state in India.

In his book history of Satyagraha in South Africa, Mohandas Gandhi cried much about the health and physique of Indian workers and black workers and how it differs so visibly even when they are on the same diet and living under same circumstances for years. He said that even cattle in Africa looks much healthier than cattle here in India. I think poor Mahatma was never been to the healthy state of Punjab before he visited and settled in South Africa for years.

Dancing horse display, tent pegging and horse show, para gliding, dog races, loading and unloading tractor trolley, track and field events, cycle races, hockey, tug-of-war, kabaddi and tug-of-war are the major events at this Rural Olympics but the most exciting and thrilling of them all is the Bullock cart race. And price money involved in these games make them even more exciting for the participants. Cash prizes were offered to the athletes who obtain first second and third positions, respectively Rs.5000, Rs.3000 and Rs.2000

In the Bullock Cart Race event the jockey is not allowed to torture or hit his bulls but only can shout to make them run faster. This is the flagship event of the Rural Olympics and attracts crowd in huge numbers. Jockey trains each of his bullocks daily for years so they can triumph at the games. A winner bullock at the games cost around $15000. These games are no less expensive than Olympics I doubt.

Images from these Games can tell things more than I can describe and here are few of them for your pleasure and viewing delight.

You also can read more about this at Rural Olympics, Kila Raipur Games and at Ohmynews.


Copyrights reserved with respected owners. Image Courtesy Ohmynews and © 2007 Munish Nagar. Text work is licensed under a Creative Commons
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Are you two?

It is unbelievable, may be I am still in my day dreams staring at flowers on the divider of the express-way. I still can not believe what my eyes saw before 12 hours on TV. It is something really miraculous with supernatural powers involved. You just can not get anything shocking than that. It was like ouch! You can not describe thing. Coming back to 21^st century after one month of life in barbaric condition was even less shocking that what I actually witnessed on Ten Sports. I still don’t believe my eyes even after I see about all the facts and figures on internet and cricket websites. Yes, Australia lost an ODI series to England. Yes, they lost an ODI series to New Zealand. Yes, they are now world number two team. They slipped past to second position clearing the way for South-Africa with 128 ODI points and Number One position.

How all this happened so early and just before the world cup? Do they have lost their old days charm or they are now an old team with youngsters pushing uncles to get in. when this really happened? They lost a game, game number two against New Zealand in ODI series, and now on number two position. Australia lost both the series and their so proud Number One position. All the equations are now reset for the world cup. Who is going to win the world cup? Australia with her team work, India with her experience, WI with the obvious home advantage, SA with her newly acquired Number One position, England with her experience or Pakistan with her killer instinct. I can not say anything right now, one month before the world cup but I think New Zealand’s chances are better than even SA. But we can not underestimate the power of Sri Lanka also. They do have a chance on shiny and spongy and bouncy Wickets of West Indies.

I don’t care whoever wins but watching the World Cup in West Indies is real fun. Especially if you have a pass or ticket to the lawn and have red rum filled coconut with you by your side. I know Australians surly are going to fight back after this series or at least in the World Cup. We can not underestimate such a powerful team but I doubt their abilities now not because of they are low in skills but because they are old enough now to go to home and watch cricket on TV themselves. New Zealand is also no different; few of her older players are on the verge of retirement. Well, they are better than Australians right now and have pushed them to number two positions after an ODI series loss. This was the fifth loss in sixth matches for injury-stricken Australia. It is the first time since the listings began in 2002 that Australia has not occupied top spot for ODI ratings.

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup begins on March 13 with Australia playing their first game the following day against minnow Scotland at St. Kitts while New Zealand open their campaign on March 16 against England at St. Lucia. Now just wait and watch.

The Durban debacle

The debacle continues. Rahul’s boys continued their dismal performance in South Africa. Unlike Johannesburg, the rain Gods didn’t come to their rescue in the second ODI in Durban. Indian batsmen meekly surrendered to the South African bowling attack. They made a paltry 91 runs in response to South Africa’s 248. Any hopes in sight? None what so ever. This Indian team is destined to lose both the one-day and test series in South Africa.

We are a country of more than one billion people. Cricket is the only game which gets all the attention in this country. There are only 8 countries which play serious cricket in the world. Yet, we are no where near the top.

The present Indian team doesn’t look good even on the paper. The middle-order is hopeless. They can’t even make 100 runs in a one-day match, only God knows what will happen in the test series.

There is so much politics in team selection. Politicians are running cricket boards. They are least concerned about the game. Big money is involved. The whole country knows about the problems. Yet, nothing is going to happen.

The much awaited Ashes series has also started. However, this time nobody expects anything from England. They are no match to the mighty Aussies. There is no fun in watching those one-sided games.

On the other hand, the mercurial West Indies made a decent come back in the second test against Pakistan after losing the first game in Lahore. Though there are no great bowlers in the current Pakistani team, it’s sheer joy to watch Brian Lara in action.