Eighty-nine bull tamers suffered injuries at the ‘jallikattu’ conducted in two villages in the State on Wednesday. Nine of them are said to be serious.
Meanwhile, the administration has given approval for another such event for January 17 at Palakurichi village in Tiruchi district. Animal welfare activists have come out strongly against the event this year too.
At Periya Suriyur, about 15 km from Tiruchi, 47 persons were injured, nine of them seriously.
At Palamedu near Madurai, 42 bull tamers suffered injuries. Thirty-five of them were treated at a medical camp put up at the venue.
At Periya Suriyur, bulls from Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Salem, Sivagangai and Dindigul districts and about 250 bull tamers took part .
Of the 353 bulls which turned up, seven were rejected as the owners failed to produce proper registration documents.
Apart from screening the bulls for medical fitness, the animals were checked for symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease. All bull tamers were also asked to undergo medical tests.
Thousands of spectators, including a few foreign tourists, thronged the venue to watch the traditional sport held as part of the Mattu Pongal festival.
