Star jockey eyes overall championship this Kambala season

MANGALURU: It’s that time of the year when

Shrinivas Gowda

hangs up his contractor’s hat and breathes races day and night. The 28-year-old

Kambala jockey

has won 11 medals from four events this season and hopes to beat his own record of 28 medals and clinch the overall championship.

Gowda, from Mijar Ashwathpur, has been taking part in Kambala races since 2013 and was the overall champion in 2017-18 with 28 wins. He will be racing buffaloes at the

Mulki

Seeme Arasu Kambala on Saturday.

Traditionally, Kambala in Tulunadu is seen as thanksgiving for a good harvest, rain or for the health of the cattle. What began as a ritual running of pairs of buffaloes through slushy paddy fields, barefoot jockeys behind them, is now a fiercely competed rural sport. Nearly 50 races are held between November and March every year and winners take home gold coins and cash prizes.

“When the Kambala Academy introduced training for jockeys in 2013, I enrolled myself. I am among the very few jockeys who after training has been participating in Kambalas regularly,” says Gowda. Currently one of the most sought-after Kambala jockeys, Gowda races buffaloes for Harshavardhan Padiwal (Moodabidri), Mahakalibettu Seetharama Shetty (Bantwal), Iruvail Panila Bada Poojary and Shakti Prasad Shetty of Mijar Prasad Nilaya.

“I have shared a special bond with buffaloes from my childhood. Soon after returning from school, I would run to look after them, massage and help them swim. Much like other pets, the animals respond with love and affection. Padiwal’s buffaloes Kala-Raja and Bolla-Kala listen only to me. I have no fixed practise sessions, but before Kambala races, I take the buffaloes for swimming at the nearby river,” he says.

Gowda works as a part-time contractor and spends most of his time with the buffaloes. He says there are about 30 jockeys who regularly participate in the events. His idols are Kolake Irvathur Anand, Marnad Rajesh, Ravi Kumar Aladangady and Sathish Devadiga among others.

Son of a coolie worker, Gowda hopes to earn money and fame with the traditional sport. “My dream is to bring repute to my town. Kambala has a huge fan following and my job is being appreciated widely. A few jockeys are paid event-wise and it is upwards of Rs 1 lakh,” he says.

“There are around 11 events planned for this season and I am hopeful that my medal tally will go up. I am eyeing the overall championship this season and hope to start cultivating my own land,” says Gowda.

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