Rural Olympics - amateur weight-lifting!

Amateur weight lifters give the clean and jerk a shot!

Also, para sailing, para gliding and motorized solo flight.

Weight Lifting is a purely rural game of Rural Olympics.Weight-lifting is one of the three types of competitions that are held during rural meets.Thousands of sportsmen and dare-devil performers have converged for four days in Qila Raipur village in Punjab to participate in a unique sports event, popularly known as the "Rural Olympics".The need for cultivating individual strength for labour on the fields, the interdependence within the community and need of defence, joint defence against onslaughts of a common foe and dangerous animals must have given birth to sports like wrestling, running, jumping and weight lifting.

According to the Rural Olympics website:

It was in 1933. Philanthropist Inder Singh Grewal visualised an annual recreational meet where farmers from areas surrounding Kila Raipur could get together and test their corporal endurance. The idea gave birth to Kila Raipur Sports, the undisputed "Rural Olympics".

In over six decades the festival has grown from a toddler to a prancing, energetic youthful organisation. This pioneer rural sports festival has become an annual international event, which is normally held in the first weekend of February. A dynamic team of organisers -- Grewal Sports Association -- has taken yet again another pioneering step of giving rural women a break in sports.

Today this festival of the rustics attracts more than 4,000 sportsmen and women, both of recognised and traditional sports. The three-day festival is witnessed by more than a million people. Besides, several million others watch it on television, read about it in newspapers and magazines.

Whether you are in Punjab or in Toronto or in Southall, you will know the latest about Kila Raipur Sports. Its participants come from all over the globe. Since it takes several months for the immigrants in England, Canada or the USA to select, train and send their Kabbadi and Tug of War teams to this festival which of late has become a truly international, talks about destination KILA RAIPUR start much early.

When Mr. Inder Singh Grewal and subsequently Grewal Sports Association visualised the Games, the solitary aim was, "healthy mind in a healthy body", the watchword has been "excellence", in accordance with the Olympic motto of "CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS".

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