Bull tamers screened in Madurai

The Alanganallur event is all set for the contest on January 16.

The body mass index of each tamer was measured to ensure they are physically fit to participate in the contest. With great expectations, the tamers waited in long queues at primary union school in Alanganallur, where teams of health care professionals measure height, weight and also checked whether any of them had a scar on the body.

The teams also tested blood pressure on the tamers, sources said. The teams checked whether each of the tamers met the criteria for participating in the contest. Any tamer with a height of five feet and above and weighing about 40 to 65 kilos would be eligible for participating in the Jallikattu contest.

As many as 749 tamers have been screened in Alanganallur, where 28 tamers were rejected as they did not meet the eligibility criteria.

Health staff numbering 40 including doctors and health inspectors were engaged in screening the tamers. At Palamedu, where Jallikattu is scheduled on January 15, as many as 699 tamers have been screened to check physical fitness and 36 were rejected, sources said. Moreover, tamers, bull owners and their attenders would undergo COVID test on January 11 and 12 at Palamedu and on January 12 and 13 at Alanganallur.

A similar exercise was also carried out at Avaniyapuram, where the event is scheduled on January 14. 430 tamers in Avaniyapuram, 651 in Palamedu and 655 at Alanganallur have been declared fit for the contest, sources said.