Bhangra, gatka performances add charm to sports festival

Kila Raipur: Like each year, Kila Raipur Sports Festival not only unfolded traditional rural sports and rare talents, but exhibited a high variety of the cultural heritage of Punjab, on the second day of the festival. People came from near and far off places to witness Bhangra and Gatka performances at the fest.

BHANGRA
A twelve-member team of students of Sri Guru Arjun Dev Khalsa Senior Section School, Dhariwal (Gurdaspur) performed Bhangra with high zeal and enthusiasm. The team leader and coach, Damanjit Singh, maintained that all students were eagerly waiting for this grand worldfamous event.

“The Bhangra team of the school has performed here many times and all participants who get a chance to perform feel proud. It is like a lifetime achievement for them,” Singh said.

Bhangra team captain Pargat Singh, who came here last year too, said, “It is not any ordinary experience when you see the stadium packed with spectators from different nooks of the country followed by international media giving great coverage and great cheering from one and all”. Another participant, Harman Singh who performed here for the first time says, “I had seen Raipur games and it various events on television and I never thought that I will ever get chance to ever perform here. However, today my parents and I feel more than elated for performing here”.

GATKA
It was a 40- member team of ‘Miri Piri Gatka Academy’ from Sri Machiwara Sahib (Ludhiana) Sahib. The team comprised children between the age group of 5 to 17, who performed traditional Gatka. This group has been performing here every year, from the past 10 years. Under the leadership of Jathedar Baba Mohan Singh, all members were very enthusiastic and well-trained in different stunts.

Five- year- old Balwinder Singh audaciously performed in front of the spectators to grab everybody’s attention. Balwinder said, “Our entire team was waiting for this event. It is a big platform to showcase our talent.” Later, young students of PlayWay Senior Secondary School, Patiala, also performed martial art stunts.

Source: HT