Ludhiana: After a gap of more than a decade, the popular bullock cart races officially returned to the Kila Raipur Rural Games on Tuesday, drawing excitement from participants and spectators alike. The races were flagged off by Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, marking their much-awaited restart.Khuddian, who was accompanied by MLA Jiwan Singh Sangowal and K N S Kang, underlined the cultural and historical significance of the races, calling them deeply rooted in Punjab’s rural traditions. He credited chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann with enabling the revival through the Punjab Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2025, which introduced animal-safety standards, addressed legal hurdles, and cleared the path for resuming the traditional races.The minister said that the Kila Raipur Rural Olympics continues to play an important role in promoting sports culture across the state and in bringing out hidden sporting talent from different regions of Punjab.According to the civil administration, this year’s edition of the festival—running until Feb 19—features the return of bullock cart races after 12 years, along with a wide range of traditional sports such as kabaddi, hockey, athletics, cycling and tug-of-war. Officials said the revival of the iconic races has generated tremendous excitement, promising a strong display of speed, strength and cultural pride.Colonel (Retd) Surinder Singh Grewal, President of the Kila Raipur Sports Society, expressed satisfaction with the resumption of the event. He said the rush on the opening day was higher than what had been seen in the last five years and that they expected even larger crowds over the remaining two days.He added that 18 heats, each involving four carts, were held on the first day, with the top two carts from each heat moving to the next round. He also stressed that the day passed without any injury to bulls, jockeys or players. Veterinary teams examined the bulls at the finish line, and cameras were installed on both sides of the track to avoid any dispute or controversy.SDM Jasleen Kaur Bhullar, who was present along with ADC Amarjit Bains and other officials, said no complaints of injury or animal cruelty were received on the opening day.Meanwhile, bull owners participating in the races welcomed the revival. Parminder Singh, a resident of Garkhana village near Samrala, said they were happy to see the tradition continue, as their ancestors had also taken part in such races. He said they treat their bulls like children, never subject them to cruelty, and feed them the best food, including milk, ghee and channa. He added that owners had been preparing for the races for a long time and practised for two to three days on the ground. According to him, bullock cart racing is a traditional sport of Punjab and should be promoted at more places.Spectators, too, expressed enthusiasm. Jaswinder Singh, a retired government employee from the Kila Raipur area, said bullock cart racing is the main attraction of the Rural Olympics. He added that there was a time when participants would arrive two to three days in advance and camp at the venue.
