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Hagga – In this category of the race, the buffalo pair has a rope tied directly to them. This category involves buffaloes that are well experienced in taking part in the race. The buffaloes of this category normally possesses more speed that the buffaloes participating under the Nigelu category. The Hagga category also has junior and senior rounds of competition.

Adda Halage – In this category of the buffalo race a wooden plank is tied to the pair of buffaloes. The farmer stands on this wooden plank while the race is in progress. This category is mainly for the senior buffaloes, which generally have prior experience of the race.

Kene Halage – In this category of the buffalo race a round-shaped wooden block is involved during the race. The farmer stands on the wooden block on a single leg. The wooden block has 2 holes through which water gushes out while running.

The height of the water gushing out through the holes is measured to determine the winner of the race. The height of the water gushing out depends on the speed of the racer – more the speed, more is the height of the water.

This category is for the most experienced farmer and the most experienced buffaloes. Generally, in the middle of the track, 2 strips of white cloth are tied across the track. These are used for height measurement of the water during the race. If a farmer has water reaching to the markers, he is declared a winner. If more than one farmer achieves this feat, all of them who achieve this feat are declared winners of the race. 

155 pairs of buffalo bulls participated in the Mangaluru Kambala this year. The adrenaline rush as the final pair ran to hit the manjutti proved that even after more than 25 hours of being on the site, neither the spectators nor the runners were any less enthusiastic.

"We started off with the intent to ensure our urban youth do not lose touch with our traditional folk sport that had gotten relegated to our rural pockets. But now we want to see it turning into a full-fledged celebration of coastal culture," says Mangaluru Kambala president Captain Brijesh Chowta.

'New Usain Bolt' cheered the crowd as Nishant Shetty, a chaser, clocked 11.49 seconds in the 125-metre track breaking Srinivas Gowda's record. Mapped to 100 metres, it turns out to be a record of 9.19 seconds. This is the record for this Kambala, and the second fastest of the season.

Gowda was hailed last Kambala season as the one who ran 'faster than Usain bolt' and even grabbed the attention of the Union Sports Minister, who extended the folk champion an opportunity to train for the national games. This year, unfortunately, he had a fall in one of the earlier Kambala races and got badly bruised. But he ran this time too. Also, the media attention triggered a renewed sense of interest in the sport. This has led to voices seeking women’s participation in the sport, and an academy that trains Kambala chasers is now contemplating training women for the next season. While women have been part of the care and upkeep of the bulls which have been looked after more like children than cattle, the new found attention is drawing women into areas they did not venture into so far.

A 11-year-old girl drew everyone's attention as she stood holding the bulls that are way taller than her. Daughter of Parameshwar Bhat, a farmer from Udupi, Chaitra, has been attending the race for the past few years and now wishes to run it herself. The sight of her fielding for the jockeys and dutifully splashing water on the buffaloes as they reached the manjutti was reassuring — the ‘gen-next’ that has been initiated into dharma is taking the reins of a tradition voluntarily and with pride.

It takes much more than plain fanfare to hold celebrations like this. The care and upkeep of these indigenous male buffaloes which would else land up at a slaughter house is an expensive, time-consuming affair, and one that can only be driven by tradition.