JAMSHEDPUR: The traditional tribal sport has witnessed an encouraging response in terms of participation as well as in the amount of audience it has garnered over the years, ever since its introduction in 2010.The Kati Premier League is the culmination of the last six year's bid to revive the traditional sport which used to be played by the Santhal and Bhumij tribal community of the state but it is on the verge of extinction now."We are hosting the premier league of Kati for the first time. Previously, it was played on a knock-out basis but this year the tournament will be played on round-robin league," said Asit, a member of the tournament organizing committee, Tribal Cultural Society (TCS) on Sunday.He said the tournament which commenced on Friday will conclude on March 4 and the final match of the senior league will be played at Jaipal Singh Stadium in Karandih.He also informed that 1500 players representing 240 teams are participating from different districts of Odisha and host Jharkhand will play on a round robin basis in the ongoing championship."The Kati premier league matches are played in two categories, junior and senior and the match will take place in eight different locations across the two states," added the tournament host committee volunteer.According to the organizers, Kati was once a popular sport traditionally played by the school and college boys from Santhal and Bhumij community. In this sport, each player carries Kati(a semi circular disc made of tamarind wood) or a six-foot-long bamboo stick.

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