Madurai: Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin flagged off Jallikattu, the popular bull-taming sport, at Alanganallur in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district. The event will see the participation of nearly 1000 bulls and 350 bull tamers, as part of Pongal festivities.
The competition will be held in 10 rounds and 25 to 40 players will be allowed to participate in each round. Players participating in the sport are supposed to take control of the bull by holding on to its hump or stay on its hump for a pre-marked distance in the arena or to stay on it for sometime as judged to have been won by the festival committee.
Earlier, the players took the oath of fair play in the presence of Udhayanidhi, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan and School Education Minister Anpil Mahesh Poiyamozhi on Tuesday. About 2,000 policemen have been deployed for security at Alanganallur for the event. A medical team comprising of 160 doctors, nurses, and 60 veterinarians have been kept on standby to treat any eventualities arising during the sport. Fire and Rescue Services personnel have also been deployed at the jallikattu venue to help mitigate any emergencies in the venue.
Also read: Jallikattu begins in Avaniyapuram of Madurai
The best player will receive a car as his prize and the best bull's owner will also be given a car. All bulls participating in the 'Jallikattu' competition will be awarded gold coins. Thousands of people have gathered to witness this competition. A separate visitor space is reserved for tourists from foreign countries the state tourism department.
