The jallikattu season began in Salem district with the first event being held at Koolamedu here on Saturday.
The event was flagged off by District Collector S.A. Raman, Superintendent of Police S. Deepa Ganiger, Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Apex Co-operative Bank R. Elangovan, and AIADMK MLAs.
Mr. Raman administered the oath to tamers and advised them to adhere to the rules of the game for the smooth conduct of the event.
Though the crowd was less compared to previous years, physical distancing norms went for a toss.
According to police, close to 500 police personnel led by an ADSP and five DSPs and personnel from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services were on duty at the venue.
24 injured
A 60-member medical team was in charge of emergency medical care. According to health officials, the tamers underwent tests for fitness and COVID-19. Of the 325 tamers who took part in the event, 24 suffered minor injuries. A bull owner was dragged by the bull while releasing it into the arena.
Eight veterinary teams under D. Purushothaman, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, checked the fitness of the bulls. Dope tests were also conducted. About 666 bulls from Attur and neighbouring districts such as Namakkal, Kalakuruchi, Tiruchi and others took part in the event.
Winning tamers and bull owners went home with cash prize upto ₹1 lakh, household articles, silver coins, and cycles.
