Coimbatore: As many as 64 people, including bull tamers, bull owners and spectators, suffered injuries during the jallikattu event held at Alagumalai in Tirupur on Sunday.
More than 555 bull tamers and 749 bulls from across the state attended the fourth jallikattu event, organised by the Tirupur district administration in association with Alagumalai Jallikattu Bulls Welfare Association.
Animal husbandry minister Udumalai K Radhakrishnan flagged off the event at 8am. Tirupur collector K Vijayakarthikeyan, MLAs Karaipudur A Natarajan of Palladam constituency and U Thaniyarasu of Kangeyam constituency were present.
Only those bull tamers, who had Covid-19 negative certificates, were allowed to participate in the event.
First prize winner Karthik from Natham, who tamed 12 bulls, received a motorcycle. Three tamers from Madurai, Sivaganga, and Batlagundu, who tamed six bulls each, were given mopeds. Owners of bulls that won the first and second prizes were also given a bike and mopeds.
As many as 23 tamers, 32 bull owners and nine spectators suffered injuries in the event. Seventeen tamers who suffered serious injuries were referred to the Tirupur Government Medical College Hospital. A bull tamer, whose left ring finger was severed, was admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).
As many as 15,000 people watched the event and 1,400 cops were deployed at the venue.