The District Kambala Samiti has announced that the Karnataka state government has agreed to consider funding requests from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts for the popular folk sport of Kambala. Samiti president Devi Prasad Shetty revealed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to review two separate proposals submitted by the district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The government is expected to allocate Rs 1 crore to Dakshina Kannada and Rs 50 lakh to Udupi for Kambala events.
MLC Ivan D’Souza raised the issue during the ongoing state legislature session, noting that while the government had previously sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for Kambala, this amount was insufficient to cover the 25 locations where events are held. As a result, only a few organizers had received funding. D’Souza requested that at least Rs 5 lakh be provided for each Kambala event.
In response, the Dakshina Kannada district administration proposed Rs 5 lakh for each of the 20 Kambala events in the region, while Udupi sought Rs 50 lakh for 60 events. The Chief Minister acknowledged the request and confirmed that the funding issue for Kambala organizers in the coastal districts is being considered.
In addition, Kambala organizers have formed the Kambala Federation of India (KFI) to gain formal recognition for the sport. They have also written to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, seeking recognition similar to other sports federations. The KFI will include permanent members such as the Deputy Commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, as well as MPs from the respective districts. The federation’s leaders believe that formal recognition will help secure government grants for the sport.
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