Family issues might keep young multiple winner out of jallikattu

MADURAI: While all eyes are on jallikattu, which holds an important stage during the beginning of Pongal season in Madurai, young bull tamer A Abicithar, who won many coveted prizes for individual supremacy in the past, will give the event a miss this year.

Abichitar, who hails from Poovanthi, a small village in Sivaganga district, is doubtful in this year’s line-up due to some unertainity.

“Because of family circumstances, I have decided not to compete in jallikattu events this season,” the 23-year-old tamer said on Tuesday.

The tamer said that he lost his father due to illness last year and his family is still struggling to recover from the grief. He had died of kidney complications, the tamer said, adding that after his father’s demise, he gave up his job at a garment industry in Tirupur and returned to his native village, where he is engaged in dairy farming for his livelihood.

To his credit, Abichithar, who graduated from The American College in 2019, said he tried his best in eight bull taming contests organised in Madurai and other parts of Tamil Nadu last year and succeeded in seven.

After taming ten bulls through several rounds in the maiden contest of jallikattu at the newly established Kalaignar Centenary Aeruthazhuvuthal Arena in Keelakarai near Alanganallur last year, he won the car as first prize.

He also excelled and ultimately became a top performer in Alanganallur jallikattu, taming 27 bulls in 2023.

Abicithar told DTNext on Tuesday, “Of my two prized cars, I gifted one as a complement to my sister.”

He went on to say that since school days he developed a fascination for taming bulls and that too especially in Alanganallur.

“Alanganallur remains his most preferred venue for the sport because Muniyandi Swami is the benevolent deity of his family,” said Abicithar.