79th MRF Kila Raipur Sports Festival 2015

Kila Raipur (Ludhiana), January 29: the horses and their jockeys got a bright welcome on a cold and sunny afternoon on the first day of the 79th Kila Raipur Sports Festival, here at the Grewal Sports Stadium on Thursday.

The opening day of the festival witnessed the time-trial horse race, with only one horse racing at a time. The first place went to Lakhi of village Balio who finished in 15.37 seconds.

The first entrant appeared on the track kicking up a lot of dust in the distant. He shouted his lungs out. The stream of contestants continued throughout the day. Fifteen of them clocked less than 22 seconds today. But then there were others who went off the track finishing the run in 26 seconds. 

Tomorrow the Horse racing event gets more exciting as the horses compete in heats to be the ultimate winners over the next 3 days.

The organisers were all over the ground giving finishing touches to the preparations for tomorrow’s inauguration by S. Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Cabinet Minister Punjab.

The competitions will be an explosion of eccentricity and macho prowess as; men of all ages, from seven to 70, display a test of endurance and skill and show of strength, with a passion seen only at these annual rural games.

The big attractions include Horse racing, tent pegging in which riders gallop down with spears piercing the pegs on the track as they let out a battle cry. It calls for clockwork precision and an uncanny sense of anticipation. Villagers from all over the region will start trickling in from early morning to occupy vantage seats for the crowd-pulling bullock cart race on the 300 hundred meter track.

The quality of brands that associate itself with the Rural Olympics, adds a different sheen to the games. MRF has chosen to be the title sponsor of the event and hence the 79th MRF Kila Raipur Sports Festival 2015. MRF has added a couple of interesting events to the festival, Tractor tyre racing and MRF Muscle Man competition. Maruti Suzuki is co-sponsor for the 7th time in a row. This showcases the importance marketers bestow on this opportunity. Punjab Tourism is associated with this event now for 4 years and the event definitely

one of the high points for tourists who visit Punjab.

Final Results of Horse race Time trials

 

1       Lakhi Village Balio 15:37 sec

2       Jhujar Singh Vil Kakrala 15:47

3       Karan Sahibiana : 15:62

4       Lovely V Gujran – 15:97

5       Kala V Lakhnaur – 15:97

6       Jung Ram Khedi V Gujran – 16:09

7       Satpal Singh V Lakhnaur : 16:13

8       Happy V Daburji : 16:28

9       Lakhi Village Balio 16:29 sec

10      Sukhpal Singh V Rally : 16:53

11       Surjivan Singh V Sarod : 16:65