The Kila Raipur Olympics which kicked off at Kila Raipur village on Tuesday came up with lovely surprises on the opening day. The rural games became special due to the return of the iconic bullock cart races after a hiatus of 12 years. What is more special and appreciable is that youngsters from across the state stepped into the arena to carry forward the legacy of their fathers and grandfathers.The youths believe that engaging with bullocks keep them away from mobile phones and, most importantly, they stay away from the drug menace.Parveer Singh (22), a resident of Khokhar village in Samrala, was seen preparing his bullock for the races at the sports ground. He belongs to the third generation and follows the tradition of his ancestors by taking part in the bullock cart races.“My grandfather Gurmel used to take part in the bullock cart races and I still have memories when I used to accompany my father and grandfather to Kila Raipur sports ground along with our bullocks to take part in the same. After the death of my grandfather, my father held the reigns and continued to take part in event till 2014,” he said.Parveer said since the day the game was banned in 2014, his father had been missing the thrill of taking part in the event, which is the backbone of the rural sports. To keep the memories of the bullock cart races alive, his father used to share stories to motivate him.“The bullocks which took part in the events in the presence of my grandfather and father could not survive and now for the past three years, my father bought me two new bullocks from Rajasthan. My father had always told me that bullocks are like our family members. We have to take care of them like the way we take care of children. I named my bullocks as Sultan and Arjan. They are like my brothers. As I wake up in the morning, I first meet Sultan and Arjan. Sometimes, I even wake up in the midnight to check whether the bullocks are alright or not,” he added.Another youth, Karanvir Singh (23), of Jassowal village recalled that his grandfather Makhan Singh had been participating in the bullock cart races for over three decades. In 2012, his father had won the second prize in the race at Kila Raipur. “Now, I have been carrying forward the legacy of my father and grandfather by taking part in the event. I am not participating to win the event, I want to keep the legacy of my forefathers alive and even the next generation of our family would be seen in Kila Raipur in coming years,” he said.Ramandeep Singh (21), another participant in the bullock cart races from Dehlon, said, his great-grandfather Phuman Singh and grandfather Gajjan Singh participated in the bullock cart races and other traditional sports such as weightlifting and pulling tractors but bullock cart race was his favourite.“After the game was banned in 2014, my grandfather who died in 2022, kept me attached with bullocks at our house. He even bought me two new bulls and took a vow from me that whenever the bullock races would be revived in the state, I must participate in it. Hence, I am here to keep the legacy of my ancestors alive,” he said.
