Mangalore - Sports

Sports

Kambala (buffalo race), contested in water filled paddy fields, and Korikatta (cockfight) are popular. Cricket is the most popular sport in the city. Dakshina Kannada's only full-fledged cricket stadium, the Mangala Stadium, is in Mangalore. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has also set up a sports training centre at the stadium. The Central Maidan in Mangalore is another important venue hosting domestic tournaments and many inter-school and collegiate tournaments. The Mangalore Sports Club (MSC) is a popular organisation in the city and has been elected as the institutional member for the Mangalore Zone of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Football is also quite popular in the city and is usually played in the maidans (grounds), with the Nehru Maidan being the most popular venue for domestic tournaments. Chess is also a popular indoor sport in the city. Mangalore is headquarters to the South Kanara District Chess Association (SKDCA), which has hosted two All India Open Chess tournaments.

Other sports such as tennis, squash, billiards, badminton, table tennis and golf are played in the numerous clubs and gymkhanas. Pilikula Nisargadhama, an integrated theme park, has a fully functional nine-hole golf course at Vamanjoor. Budhi Kunderan, a former Indian wicket keeper was from Mangalore. Ravi Shastri, who represented India for several years in international cricket as an all-rounder and captained the team, is of Mangalorean descent.