Mangaluru: The department of youth empowerment and sports has issued an order providing an additional grant of Rs 1 crore to encourage and promote kambala. The under secretary to the department issued the order announcing the additional grant. The commissioner of the department said kambala is a traditional sport that has gained international recognition and is witnessed by lakhs of people across the state, the country and abroad.Organising a kambala event incurs an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh for buffaloes, medals and cash prizes for jockeys. Due to a shortage of financial resources, the tradition of organising kambala faces the possibility of dying out. To promote the culture of Tulunadu, preserve and nurture the traditional sport, and foster sports tourism in the state, a proposal was submitted recommending a Rs 5 crore grant to cover organisation costs, provide sports kits, meet transportation expenses for buffaloes, and fund travel allowances and cash awards for runners.Approval was granted to distribute a total sanctioned grant of Rs 40 lakh to promote and encourage kambala. Further, under the action plan for 2026-27, the Karnataka Sports Authority has allocated Rs 40 lakh for 20 events to organise kambala competitions, the order stated. Meanwhile, an online portal has been opened to simplify registration for the kambala event to be held as part of Mysuru Dasara, according to a release from the Mysuru zilla panchayat. Owners of kambala buffaloes and jockeys can register under various competition categories to participate in the Dasara Kambala to be organised at Sathagalli in Mysuru.Interested individuals can visit the website https://mysoredasara.gov.in or https://mysoredasara.gov.in for more details and online registration.
