Online registration for jallikattu events begins
G Vinoth, bull owner and tamer, Vadipatti, blaming the new system said he’s so angry and frustrated last year after tokens were not generated for all his three bulls despite registering online.
MADURAI: Online registration for bulls and tamers, to participate in jallikattu, the bull taming sport, scheduled to be conducted in Avaniyapuram on January 15, in Palamedu and Alanganallur for the next two days in Madurai district, begins on Wednesday.
Welcoming online token system, Mudakathan Mani, president, Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Payirchi Maiyam, Madurai, after registering his bulls and 70 trained tamers through e-sevai centre near Goripalayam in Madurai, said manually generated tokens issued a few years ago lacked transparency in registration charges. Gone are the days when manual token system was operational and many bull owners shelled out more money for participating in jallikattu events. Even organisers unwisely collected money from the bull owners to purchase gift items for those who excelled in the sport.
P Rajaboopathy, bull owner and tamer, Madakulam said he initially tried to register for his two bulls through a cell phone after the online registration opened at noon, but since mobile network was slow, he managed to register at 12.20 pm. and at 12.40 pm, using a laptop at home. The registered participants crossed 12,000 until evening.
G Vinoth, bull owner and tamer, Vadipatti, blaming the new system said he’s so angry and frustrated last year after tokens were not generated for all his three bulls despite registering online. “I have been participating in this sport since 2008, but the last year was really a disappointment,” he said wondering how could the bulls of Ministers and other politicians, VIPs and police personnel get opportunities to participate that too in the first round every season, he asked DT Next. Further, Vinoth, who’s up against the online token system, said jallikattu organizing committees in certain villages should manually issue tokens like in the earlier days.
N Muthupandi, bull owner from Avaniyapuram, said though method of registration was much easier than manual token system, which’s too hard to avail and challenging, but very gettable at last. Now, this online token system adds to uncertainty, he added.