Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jun 3: All of us have plenty of fond memories of those bygone days of childhood. When we reminisce about childhood, it is the games, particularly the outdoor games played with friends and cousins that form the most cherished of memories. With the passing of time and advent of technology, many an outdoor game has faded into oblivion, and one of those games which has become almost extinct now is Lagori.

But thanks to an initiative taken by Pathway Enterprises and Bhandary Builders, childhood memories are about to come alive again, with the first-ever 'Lagori Tulunadu Cup 2017' later this month.

Pathway Enterprises and Bhandary Builders will jointly organise 'Lagori Tulunadu Cup 2017' at Karavali Utsav ground from June 25. This is first-of-its-kind Lagori tournament to be held in Mangaluru, aimed at not just reviving a lost childhood game but also to promote it among today's youngsters.

Lagori has gained prominence in the northern part of India and is also organised at national and state level. It may be recalled, Lagori World cup was also held in the year 2016 at Mumbai. But in the coastal region here, the game is only played during school and college extra circular activities, because there is no right platform to promote this traditional sport.

Speaking to daijiworld, owner of Pathway Enterprises, Deepak Ganguly who was inspired to conduct the tournament after he watched a bunch of students of a government school playing Lagori said, "This will be the first ever Lagori tournament in the history of Mangaluru. We had participated in the Mangalore Premier League tournament recently and we are looking forward to carry the same standard in this Lagori tournament. As many as 20 teams from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod will take part in this tournament. Each team will have 12 players in their squad with total of 240 players. We will provide free jerseys for all the players. Winners will be awarded Rs 30,000, while the runner-up will bag Rs 15,000. We are planning to invite celebrities to the competition. There will be a brand ambassador for each team. Twelve top class players will be selected for the next level.

"Lagori World Cup was held last year, but no one was aware about it. The game has been totally neglected and sidelined here in the coastal region, whereas in Northern states it is being played grandly. We have been invited to watch Lagori matches on the national stage, but unfortunately we dont have teams to represent our region on national level. This tournament will help us to build a team to participate in national level tourneys. Two trainers will train players 10 days prior to the tournament. There are plans of conducting Lagori tournament for even girls next year," he added.

"Our biggest support is Bhandary Builders as they are the title sponsors and will be supporting us for the next three years to promote this traditional sport," said Ganguly.