Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 30: Winning a gold medal in Kambala is a matter of pride for buffalo owners. However, the Padavu Kanadaka team has demonstrated that compassion is more valuable than a trophy by gifting its winning gold medal to a former worker who is battling illness.
The team, which secured first place in the ‘Hagga Kiriya’ category at the recently held Mysuru Kambala, handed over the gold medal it won to Veerappa, a resident of Kolattamajalu in Bantwal taluk. The gesture has drawn appreciation for recognising the contribution and hardships of a person who worked with the team for years.
The buffaloes belonging to Flavy D'Souza of the Padavu Kanadaka team from Shaktinagar, Mangaluru, secured first place in the Hagga Kiriya category at the Mysuru Kambala. The team decided to give the gold medal won in the competition to Veerappa, who had worked with it for several years caring for the buffaloes.
Veerappa, who hails from Kolattamajalu in Bantwal taluk, served the team for a long time and continued working with it until last year, when he developed health problems. The gold medal weighs 16 grams and is currently valued at approximately Rs 2.30 lac.
The team owners have not forgotten Veerappa's years of dedicated service. Moved by his present health condition and the need to support him during a difficult period, they decided to gift him the gold medal won at this year's Kambala.
Instead of keeping the prize as a personal memento of victory, the team chose to share it with someone whose hard work had contributed to its journey. The gesture has earned appreciation for its compassion and recognition of the efforts of people working behind the scenes.
Earlier too, the Padavu Kanadaka team has demonstrated such generosity. In 2024, its famous buffalo pair, Dooja and its partner, won first prize at the Navoor Kambala in Bantwal. The team subsequently gifted the gold medal to Navoor Savya Gangayya Poojary, who had suffered a leg fracture after falling on the Kambala track.
By gifting another winning medal to an ailing former employee, the team has continued this tradition of compassion. Its actions underline the message that success in Kambala is not merely the achievement of buffalo owners or the animals, but also the result of the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.
The Padavu Kanadaka team's decision to donate a winning medal to a person in need for the second time has added another meaningful example to this tradition of generosity in the Kambala community.