Feature
Spectacular KungFu skills displayed by participants on World KungFu Day
The birth anniversary of father of Art of Self-Defense Bodhidharma, was celebrated in various states of the country as International Bodhi Day. On this occasion, the players of Kung Fu performed a surprise English performance of different genres of Kung Fu and amazed the audience with their outstsnding performance. On this occasion, the Indian Kung Fu Federation presented a cheque of one lakh rupees to the oldest kung fu master of the country and the state of Manipur, Jaswanta Singh for his Life Time Achievement.
It is notable that on December 19, 2020, the 31st anniversary celebrations of the Dragon Academy of Martial Arts and the birth anniversary celebrations of Bodhidharma, the founder of the art of self-defense, Kung Fu, was celebrated with great pomp and show. In which various birthday girls of Dragon Academy of Martial Arts, Kung Fu players celebrated the birthday celebrations of Bodhidharma, the founder of Kung Fu Khel, as “World Kungfu Day” in the Bodhi auditorium of the institute and the 31st anniversary celebration of the institute with joy and hapiness.
Dr. Sudhir Kumar Bobde, IAS, President of the Kungfu Federation of India, presided as the Chief Guest of this program. Addressing the program, he said that during this period of Corona period, Kung Fu is making all the big and small citizens healthy. Kung fu is a panacea for fitness. Along with this, Kung Fu is also preparing a healthy nation and disciplined citizens. This is a true service to the nation.
Gyan Prakash Tripathi, founder and international Kung Fu coach of Dragon Academy of Martial Arts, said that it is a matter of great pride that the birthday of Bodhi Dharma, the father of Kung Fu, was celebrated on the 31st Foundation Day of the Dragon Academy of Martial Arts. In the last 31 years, this academy has prepared thousands of national and international players and has brought laurels to the country. Kung fu is a lifestyle. This is where a kung fu player stays healthy, he faces his combative attitude under any circumstances.On this occasion, distinguished players from various Kungfu were honored.
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.