Avaniyapuram jallikattu: Two share best tamer honour; 32 injured

MADURAI: Two youths shared the best bull tamer prize at the action packed Avaniyapuram jallikattu in Madurai on Thursday. Thirunavukarasu of Muthupatti and Vijayan of Avaniyapuram shared the prize by embracing 26 bulls each.
Amidst the tough competition, the combined 52 bulls the duo tamed is one tenth of the total number of bulls that were released from the vadivasal.
A bull owned by G R Karthick of Villapuram was adjudged the best bull.
Officials screened a total of 824 bulls that were brought for the jallikattu, of which 24 were rejected on various grounds. A total of 523 bulls crossed the vadivasal and played during the eight-hour event. The rest could not be released at the event due to time constraints.
The event that began at 8am and went on till 4 pm was conducted in eight rounds.
Fifty tamers were allowed to enter the arena and were changed every hour to give equal opportunity for the 398 tamers. Ten 108 ambulances and 30 personnel were stationed at the jallikattu venue to handle the injured.
As many 32 people were injured. They included tamers, bull owners and spectators. While most of them got first aid for minor injuries, nine of them were referred to Government Rajaji Hospital. All of them were out of danger.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi watched the event for some time in the afternoon.