Kalaripayattu turns heads on Kerala School Sports Meet debut

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the senior girls neduvadipayattu competition, a kalaripayattu event, came to an end at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, two girls from Wayanad were seen walking away from the arena, engaged in a joyful conversation. Though a bit disappointed that they could not bring out their best in the kalari of the State School Sports Meet, Abhinava Shaji and Aleena Saji from St Josephs HSS, Kalladi were happy that they were able to progress to the state level with a practice of just over a week. In fact, every participant in the kalaripayattu events chuvadu, meypayattu, and neduvadipayattu received appreciation from the crowd for their spot-on timing and smooth moves. Introduced in the meet for the first time, kalaripayattu has gained the attention of spectators and the confidence of organisers. The warm response will serve as the foundation for the martial art form in the coming editions of the sports meet, the organisers said. Winners of the senior boys neduvadipayattu, Bhagath K Janan and Athiradh Sujith of GHSS, Mattannoor, said their peers interest in learning kalaripayattu has increased manifold after the two were selected for the meet. With a gold medal in the first year of kalaripayattu, we are proud to be part of history, said an overjoyed Athiradh, who has been learning the martial art since 2016. Bhagath, on the other hand, wished for energetic applause throughout the contest When we are inside the arena, constant cheer will boost our spirits, right? he said. Though not planning to teach kalaripayattu in the future, Bhagath wanted to learn the martial art deeper and participate in more competitions.