UP association attempts to revive traditional games that have lost out to modern-day glamorous ones
LUCKNOW: Guess where you can see some pulse-racing bullock cart races, gulli-danda, kite-flying and other traditional Indian games? At the first-ever homegrown ‘Rural Olympics’, scheduled to be organised later this month in Uttar Pradesh.
Unlike the Olympics, winners here will not be given medals or trophies, but daily-use items like ghee and cooking oil.
“The stage is set. The four-day Rural Olympics that will tap hidden talent in the villages will start here on December 18,” AK Saxena, general secretary, Uttar Pradesh Non-Olympic Association (Upnoa), said.
Upnoa promotes ancient, traditional and cultural games. And the intention behind organising the Rural Olympics is to “revive traditional and indigenous games that have lost their importance to modern-day glamorous games”, a member said.
The Rural Olympics will draw participants not only from Uttar Pradesh but also from Haryana, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. “Our counterparts in Haryana and West Bengal have confirmed their participation. Taking this into account, we expect as many as 1,000 participants to converge here for the event,” Saxena said.
“Last year too, we had organised sporting events for villagers. But now, it’s for the first time that we are doing it in a big way,” Saxena added.
The Rural Olympics will be held in the Gomti Nagar stadium in the Chinhat area here.
“The Rural Olympics will have games for everyone - children, youth, men and women. The games have been selected in a way that will ensure maximum representation for a particular game,” said Saxena. There will be as many as 40 different games. “If games like kabaddi, kho-kho and wrestling can be accepted nationally, we will strive for
national acceptance of other rural games as well,” said an Upnoa member.
But since trophies and medals will be of no importance to rural participants, Upnoa will give them “items like containers of ghee, packets of cooking oil, blankets, clothes, stock of cereals,” Saxena said.
Select winners would also get cash prizes.
