RANGPUR, Jan 7, 2020 (BSS) – A traditional horse race competition entertained thousands of rural people on Monday afternoon in village Palichara Keshabpur under Saddyapuskorini union in Sadar upazila of the district.
The Keshabpur Horse Race Management Committee organised the competition on a vast field where some 15,000 fervent rural men, women, housewives, adolescents, youths, students, children and farmers from surrounding villages gathered to enjoy.
Thirty-five horse riders from different rural areas of Sadar, Badarganj, Taraganj, Mithapukur and Gangachara upazilas of the district participated in the competition in three separate groups.
The horse riders who secured the first, second and third places in each group, finally took part in the final round of the horse race competition and three of the winners were awarded.
Chairman of Saddyapuskorini union Alhaj Md. Sohel Rana witnessed the horse race and distributed prizes among the champion, runner-up and second runner-up of the horse race competition as the chief guest.
Officer-in-Charge of Rangpur Sadar Kotwali Thana Md. Sajedur Rahman inaugurated the horse race competition.
Presided over by former Acting Chairman of Saddyapuskorini union Md. Abdur Rouf, its incumbent Members Abed Ali and Rozina Begum, Organiser of Keshabpur Horse Race Management Committee Md. Feroz Mian attended the prize-giving ceremony.
Speakers in the function termed rural sports as very effective means of healthy entertainment and called for arranging frequent competitions of traditional sports in rural areas to save those from complete disappearance.
The chief guest stressed on reviving traditional sports like horse race, ‘Ha-Du-Du’, ‘Kanamachi Bhon Bhon’, ‘Biscuit Race’, ‘Climbing up to Oily Banana Tree’, ‘Cock Fight’, ‘Bau-Chee’, ‘Daria Bandha’ and ‘Gollachut’ to entertain rural people.
He put emphasis on saving traditional rural sports from extinction and popularising those among young generations through arranging similar competitions frequently in rural areas.