Madurai: The bull taming sport ‘Jallikattu’ at Alanganallur kicked off on Tuesday with traditional sporting fervour, as streams of energetic young men raced against time to dominate the robust bulls and emerge victorious. Udayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare, officially kicks off the Jallikattu event.
As the bulls jumped and leapt forward from the ‘Vadivasal,’ the sand and hay-filled entrance to the sporting arena, men on the sideways tried to embrace the bulls by clinging to the hump.
The tamers won on occasion, but the bulls outwitted them on several occasions. Organisers announced whether the bull or the man had won over the public address system.
At least 15 men, including bull tamers, were injured, and over 500 bulls and more than 300 tamers are expected to finish the game by evening. There are strict security measures in place. Alanganallur’s Jallikattu is very popular.
