SHILLONG: Teer, the traditional betting on arrow shooting game, resumed on Friday after a gap of over 70 days bringing relief to thousands of people whose livelihood depends on this legalised gambling.
The new avatar of Teer saw adherence to strict health protocols, including social distancing, and live streaming of the arrow shooting competition on YouTube and Facebook were some of the new features of this six-day-week Khasi traditional sport.
The bookies, Teer counter staff, archers and the archery association members were seen using masks, sanitisers and gloves on Friday.
According to the president of Khasi Hills Archery Sports Institute, Philip Gene Khongsngi, under the new dispensation it has been made mandatory to reduce staff at the counters as part of social distancing. If there were four persons earlier, only two will be permissible.
It is compulsory for those who man the Teer counters to use sanitisers, gloves and masks. Those who bet should also mandatorily get their hands sanitised before purchasing tickets, he said.
The association is planning to distribute leaflets to all parts of the city and on the outskirts as part of creating awareness on the health protocols.
“If those who man the Teer counters violate the norms three times, we will close down the outlets”, he warned.
The strength of the shooters of arrows at Polo has been reduced from 50 to 30 to help maintain physical distancing. Only 20 arrows per shooter were allowed.
There are 2,000 betting counters across Khasi-Jaintia Hills under the Khasi Hills Archery Sports Institute and over 1,800 opened on Friday.
“During the lockdown, the loss was around Rs 40 crore”, he said. The government gets revenue by way of yearly renewal fee from Teer counters for Rs 3000 each besides Rs 1000 for ticket books.
Jopduh War from Malki, who was one of the shooters of arrows at Polo, said he was without any job for almost three months following the lockdown.
“We the shooters used to earn Rs 350 per day but due to the closure of Teer business, we had to depend on other menial jobs to sustain ourselves”, War said
Suraj Chettri, who runs a counter at Polo, said the business was good on the first day.
Another person manning a betting counter at Mawlonghat said though many purchased tickets, the flow of people was less compared to the past.
A bookie, who did not wish to be named, said he suffered a loss of Rs 500 every day due to the lockdown.
Dominic Kharlyngdoh, a habitual bettor, was happy that betting was here again. “For me, it is both time-pass and earning something”, Kharlyngdoh said.
