Ludhiana: All roads led to Kila Raipur Rural Games on Tuesday, where people turned up in large numbers to watch the return of the famed bullock cart races. The enthusiastic audience included several NRIs and a British photographer, testament to the global renown of the traditional games in general and the bullock cart race in particular.Among the visitors from overseas was 55-year-old Parwinder Singh, who has been living in Rome for the past two decades. Singh said he was delighted to see the races return to the games, as people in the region are deeply passionate about them. He added that he arrived in India around 20 days ago and was excited to watch the races again, having seen them before they were stopped. Singh, who belongs to the Kila Raipur area, said bulls are raised with great care and thanked the government for allowing the sport to resume at the annual event.Another NRI visitor, 22-year-old Harnoor Kaur, a law student from Atlanta, Georgia, said she had heard about the famed bullock cart races from her father, who hails from Kila Raipur. This was the first time she was witnessing the races, and she said she felt good to be part of the gathering. Also present was Sukhdev Singh, a former athlete now living in California. Singh, a transporter, recalled participating in the 400m race at the Kila Raipur Games in 1996–97. The games also attracted 61-year-old Duncan Ridgley, a professional photographer from Blackpool, UK, who travelled to Kila Raipur to experience the rural Olympics firsthand. Ridgley said he had been in India for around six weeks and planned to start a YouTube channel from here. Ridgley said he was excited to witness the bullock cart races, describing the experience as “special” because such events do not take place in the UK. He said he felt fortunate to be able to photograph the races and planned to stay for all three days of the games. The photographer lauded the event and said traditions like these helped keep communities alive.Meanwhile, Gurinder Singh Grewal of the Kila Raipur Sports Society, who is also an NRI, said they expected more overseas visitors this year.
