Team News Riveting
Raipur, October 7
District Collector of Raipur Dr Sarveshwar Narendra Bhure could not confine himself to try hands at seven stones, an ancient game played across the country in different names.
In Chhattisgarh, it is called “Pittul”, a game involving a ball and a pile of flat stones, generally played between two teams in a large outdoor area. The history of seven stones, one of the most ancient games of the Indian subcontinent, dates back to the Bhagavata Purana, which mentions Lord Krishna playing the game with his friends.
A member of one team (the seekers) throws a ball at a pile of stones to knock them over. The seekers then try to restore the pile of stones while staying safe from the opposing team’s (the hitters’) throws. The hitters’ objective is to hit the seekers with the ball before they can reconstruct the stone pile. If the ball touches a seeker, that seeker is out and the team which the seeker came from continues, without the seeker. A seeker can always safeguard themselves by touching an opposite team member before the ball hits the seeker.
The 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer today reached St. Paul’s School where children had been participating in the Chhattisgarhiya Olympics started under the aegis of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club. The competition is part of Bhupesh Baghel government’s ambitious plan to promote indigenous games.
Chhattisgarhia Olympics started from October 6 and will continue till January 6, 2023 at the state level after completing in six levels. The 14 types of traditional sports have been included in the category that include Gilli Danda, Pittul Sankhali, Langdi Run, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Towing and Banti (Kancha). Besides, the sports disciplines of the single category include Billas, Fugdi, Gedi race, Bhanwara, 100- meter run and Long jump.
Dr Bhure cheered the participants and informed them about the importance of sports. The District Collector then joined the boys to play Pittul.
