Srinivas Gowda, a traditional buffalo jockey became an overnight fame after he won a 145-metre race in just 13.62 seconds.
This works out to covering a distance of 100 metres in 9.55 seconds, better than Usain Bolt's record of 9.58 seconds. So, Gowda completed the 100-metre mark .03 seconds faster than Bolt.
The feat got him huge attention from the country with many comparing him to legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. But what is the Kambala race? Here it is.
Kambala involves a jockey driving a pair of buffaloes across a paddy field. The sport has been popular in villages of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Kasargod in Kerala for centuries. It is an annual buffalo mud race conducted by various religious and social organisation in the coastal part of Karnataka. Buffaloes are reared and owned by wealthy landlord who participate in the race for prestige and prize. Buffalo jockeys are farmland workers who take up this job as the agricultural activity is low in this season.
The race has traditionally been sponsored by the Tuluva, an ethnic group native to Southern India. While not in the news much, the Tuluva have been demanding national language status for Tulu and even a separate state for themselves called Tulu Nadu, but the movement have been subdued for a while.
The Kambala season generally starts in November and goes until March. Special Kambala Associations are formed to conduct the races. There are currently 18 such associations. Over 45 races are held annually in coastal Karnataka.
The Kambala racetrack is a slushy paddy field, and the buffaloes are driven by a whip-lashing farmer. Traditional Kambala was non-competitive, and the pair was run one by one. In modern Kambala, the contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes. In villages such as Vandaro and Choradi, there is also a ritualistic aspect, as farmers race their buffaloes to give thanks for protecting them from diseases. Historically, the winning pair of buffaloes was rewarded with coconuts and bananas. Today, winning owners earn gold and silver coins. Some organising committees award an eight-gram gold coin as first prize. In some competitions, cash prizes are awarded.
Like Jallikattu, Kambala was also banned by the Supreme Court. But The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 re-legalised the Kambala festival in Karnataka.
Thanking people for the support and attention he was getting, Gowda told ANI: "People are comparing me to Usain Bolt. He is a world champion, I am only running in a slushy paddy field."