Kila Raipur Games on April 12-13 without bullock cart race

After several twists and turns, the dates for the Kila Raipur Games are finally out. The rural games will be held on April 12 and 13 this year without the bullock cart race.

The announcement was made by the newly formed committee – Kila Raipur Sports Society Patti Sohaviya — on Tuesday. This year, Youth Club Kila Raipur is also supporting the committee and arranging funds for the event.

On March 7, committee president Col Surinder Singh (retd), who, after winning a legal battle, had got possession of the land where the event is held, had announced that the ‘mini rural olympics’ will not be organised this year. “The committee decided that the continuity of the games should not be affected. We have only cut down the duration of the event from three days to two,” he said.

He said the event will include hockey, athletics, kabaddi, trolley loading, horse racing, motorcycle stunts, tractor race, tug-of-war, and cultural events.

On the approval for bullock cart race, Surinder Singh said the President has not signed the amendment bill passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in February in favour of bullock cart race. “However, efforts are being made to get the approval so that we can again start the race from next year,” he said.

Venue, organiser and litigation

Earlier, the popular yearly event that originated in 933, was being organised by Grewal Sports Club.

Kila Raipur village is divided into six ‘pattis’ and the seven acres of land where the games were being organised belongs to Patti Sohaviya community.

Colonel Surinder Singh (retd) said the seven acres of land that belongs to Patti Suhavia at Kila Raipur village was fraudulently mutated in the name of Grewal Sports Club in 1985. “I was in service when all this happened. I came to know about the fraud in 1997 and on September 9 that year, I filed a suit in a lower court in Ludhiana,” he said. Since then Singh was fighting the case in the court and finally got the possession of land on February 28 this year.

First Published: Apr 02, 2019 22:25 IST