Lagori league formed to popularise the traditional sport in State

Remember lagori, a traditional sport that was once popular among children who used to play it in the bylanes of every street in the State? Today, neither do children know how lagori is played nor are they interested in it as cricket and computer games have gained priority in their lives.

So, to breathe life into the traditional game and give it a pan-Indian recognition, the Karnataka Amateur Lagori Association (KALA), an affiliated body of the Amateur Lagori Federation of India, formally introduced the sport in Mysuru, explaining its rules to a group of youth.

Over a dozen children got to know lagori’s rules, player composition and so on. KALA founder secretary Basavaraj N. Bagewadi told

The Hindu that lagori was an “ancient” game.

The game is now getting a foothold with children, mostly in districts of north Karnataka, keen to take it further. This happened after the association framed the rules of the game.

“The game needs a foothold in southern Karnataka, mainly in Mysuru and Bengaluru. Like in Maharashtra, the game needs a big push in Karnataka,” felt Mr. Bagewadi.

Crediting Santosh P. Gurav of Maharashtra, the founder of the Amateur Lagori Federation of India, for introducing the game in at least 32 countries, Mr. Bagewadi said: “When other countries have accepted the game, we, in India, must strive to make it a global game. KALA is doing so by forming its units in all districts.”

Interestingly, KALA had set up a lagori league, forming 10 teams with two foreign players in each team, which organised a tournament at Vijayapura in January.

“It got an overwhelming response, and the crowd support was excellent,” he added.

A Lagori World Cup has been scheduled for January 2016, and many foreign teams are expected to participate.

“Maharashtra government has recognised the game as a sport. We have requested the Karnataka government to do the same,” he said.

Tejasvi, a class 10 student at Hari Vidyalaya, said: “I had played the game a long time ago, but was not aware of its rules. Today, I got to know the rules from KALA. Accordingly, my friends and I will play the game hereafter.”

“The game can draw anybody into its grip. Such is its lure. I hope it gets global recognition as a sport,” he added.