Ordinance on Kambala if necessary: Siddaramaiah

January 24, 2017

Mysuru, Jan 24: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said an ordinance can be brought, if necessary, to allow the conduct of traditional buffalo race "Kambala" in coastal areas after seeking legal opinion.

"Kambala is a rural sport that is especially organised in the coastal region. We do not have any opposition to it. It is in court now... It is coming up for hearing. We will see what will happen and if there is a necessity, an ordinance canbe brought.

"Let's see. Anyway, Assembly (session) will start from February 6. Let's see... after talking to the Legal department, we will take a decision. But we are in favour of Kambala," he told reporters here.

Asked whether the ordinance would be on Tamil Nadu's model, Siddaramaiah said: "Tamil Nadu's is different. Jallikattu is different from Kambala. They cannot be compared."

A Karnataka High Court Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, had in November last year stayed holding of Kambala on a PETA petition challenging it in view of orders passed by the Supreme Courton Jallikattu.

The chief minister had yesterday asked the Centre to take a favourable stand on the matter as it did for Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

The clamour for Kambala has been surred by the success of the stir in Tamil Nadu.

Kambala Committees have decided to hold a massive protest on January 28 in Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district. Symbolic Kambala, a buffalo race in the marshy fields, is also likely to be held as a mark of protest.

They have also filed an interim application, seeking vacating of the stay.

The matter came up on Friday last before the division bench of the High Court, which adjourned the case to January 30.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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