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Mangaluru: The famous Nethravathi-Phalguni Jodukare Kambla (wet land buffaloe race), which is being organised since 2008 will be held on Monday, December 29 at Guttumane in Pilikula. With the Apex Court banning traditional sport of Tamilnadu involving buffaloes and cattle, named as Jallikattu billing it off as violence on animals, the district administration has decided to make this year’s Kambla violence-free by asking the owners of the buffaloes to refrain from canning the animal.

With this stand of the district administration, the Nethravathi-Phalguni Jodukare Kambla is surely going to script history.
 
Presiding over the preparatory meet, District in-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai stated that with the aim of promoting the traditional sport, which is the identity of the region, even this year, district administration and Dr Shivaram Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama will organise the Kambla as part of DK district Karavali Utsava, which is funded by state government.

The decision to have violence-free Kambla was taken after Union Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi had issued a notice against the canning activities on the buffaloes during a Kambla held at Bantwal in 2013.
 
Briefing about the event, DK and Udupi districts Kambla Committee Chief Dr Baradibeedu Jeevandhar Ballal stated "The competitions will be held in six categories, i.e., negilu - junior and senior, hagga - junior and senior, adda halage and kane halage. The winner and runners up in each categories will get one sovereign and half sovereign gold coins respectively as prizes. Along with the normal categories, there will be a special categories where five chosen owners will be awarded with cash prize depending on their performance. Apart from preserving culture, the district administration-sponsored kambla aims at developing tourism in Mangaluru."
 
Highlighting the promotion of the traditional sport Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said "Henceforth Nethravathi-Phalguni Jodukare Kambla will be held on the last Saturday and Sunday of every December. The committee will also make sure that the traditional sports will be highlighted in the map and itinerary of tourism department.
 
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLC Ivan D’Souza, Mangalore South MLA J R Lobo, MCC Mayor Mahabala Maarla, President of State Bus Owners Association Rajavarma Ballal, President of Konkani Prachar Sanchalan Roy Castelino and others were present.