Faster than Usain Bolt? Man wins buffalo race with amazing speed
A 28-year-old Srinivas Gowda, from South India, is being praised everywhere after his remarkable win in a buffalo race earlier this month. His fantastic performance goes viral and thanks to his record speed, he is even called the new Usain Bolt.
The Indian man competed in the traditional buffalo race in the rice paddies of southern India, where he finished first. He ran the 142 meters in just 13.42 seconds, an impressive speed when converted to a rate of 100 meters in 9.55 seconds. By comparison, world record holder Usain Bolt ran the 100 meters in 9.58 seconds.
The man himself, who besides running with buffalo builder, demonstrates his remarkable performance. “People are comparing me to Usain Bolt. He is a world champion. I walk through muddy rice fields,” it sounds modest.
The organization of the competition would also instead not compare him to Bolt. “We do not want a comparison with others,” Gunapala Kadamba, president of the Kambala Academy, explained to BBC Hindi. “They (monitors of the Olympics games ed.) have more scientific methods and better electronic equipment to measure speed”. Gowda is also pulled by the fast buffaloes, which increases speed.
Controversial sport
Kambala is a traditional sport from the region of Karnataka, southern India. Participants must walk through a rice field a distance of 132 or 142 meters with two buffalo that are tied together with a wooden beam.
It is a very controversial sport that has already led to criticism from international animal rights organizations. Following a ban from the judge in 2014, the race was adjusted, and the animals received more human treatment. Nevertheless, the sport is still criticized by Peta, among others.
