Female athletes claim their space at Kila Raipur Rural Olympics
The 84th leg of games, which were played from 12-14 February at the Kila Raipur village, saw equal participation between both genders, said additional district commissioner Anmol Singh Dhaliwal
Ludhiana Dashing through the air on the track, displaying strength and agility on the ground, women at this year’s Kila Raipur Rural Olympics seemed to be taking over their due space in the extravaganza.
The 84th leg of games, which were played from 12-14 February at the Kila Raipur village, saw equal participation between both genders, said additional district commissioner (ADC Rural) Anmol Singh Dhaliwal.
“We kept special focus on making these games as inclusive as possible and women were a major part of this,” he said.
The rural games, which began way back in 1933, have been for the most part a stage for men. While female participation started picking up some ten years ago, sarpanch Gian Singh said, hitherto the ratio was mostly skewed in the favour of men. “This time it looks like the women have taken their due equal position,” he said.
Women participated in hockey, kabaddi, running and cycling. Across the days of the games, women drew strong crowds. In fact, on the second day and the last day, the women’s kabaddi, 100 m and cycling were among the main attractions.
Simrandeep Kaur from Patiala, a 25-year-old sprinter and an international level athlete who has represented the country in the World University Games, was among the most distinguished women athletes here. She scored the top spot in the 100 m and 200 m races.
20-year-old Vidhi Tejpal scored the first position in cycling and was cheered with strong applause as she closed the final lap.
Harneet Kaur, a local of Kila Raipur, said, “When these women ace these games which have been so far seen as male-only domain, it definitely shows the people, especially those here in the villages, that we can also do a lot more than what traditionally we’ve bee left to do.”