VISAKHAPATNAM: While cockfights are an annual event in Godavari and Krishna districts during Sankranti festival season, the blood-sport is a regular and the round-the-year feature in the city, event organisers and punters said.Though cockfights is a traditional sport in rural areas, it has emerged as a main attraction during weekends and major festivals. Despite the ban on use of knives and betting in cockfights, organisers are finding new venues to organise the sport to evade police raids.In 2018, city police seized over 50 fighting roosters and 71,000 in cash and arrested 51 persons for indulging in cockfights under AP Gambling Act.“Unlike in other parts of AP, cockfights begin in Vizag city marking the New Year Eve and continue till April. In the second phase, the cockfights begin in August. Most of the rooster fights are organized at MVP Colony, Sagar Nagar, Yendada, Gajuwaka, Anandapuram, Bheemili and few other areas in the city,” says P Mani Kumar, a punter.According to rooster-fight organisers, not only middle-aged people, but also some students of engineering and management courses and software professionals have begun placing bets in the last one year, the sources added.Two days ago two youngsters were seen at Yendada area, carrying two roosters under their arms. “We wanted some quick money from cockfights so we are going to attend the cockfights held in coconut orchards and farm houses at Sagar Nagar,” one of the youths said. “The police know about the few venues, but they won’t raid and the betting ranges from a simple 1,000 to 1 lakh, they added.In the city rooster fights is a steady event, but the betting amount is low when compared to Godavari districts said ACP (Task Force) I Chittibabu. “Though we keep a vigil, most of the events go undetected. It is difficult to bust cockfights in the city with minimum staff unless we get concrete information about it,” he added.

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