How many of us examine the things we use to see which ones of them cause death? A lot of sports do. Leather balls for football and other games are common but there are so many that you have not thought about.

Sports And Animal Life

Did you know that cricket uses leather balls stitched with pig hair? This hair is pulled out of a live pig. In every colony that has pigs, every now and then you will hear the most unearthly childlike screams. A pig has been caught by the pig hair traders, has been trussed up and then had handfuls of hair torn out. His body, bleeding and hurt, is often left still trussed, as they cannot be bothered as to what happens to the pig after its hair is gone. In the pig factories, the pigs are lined up for slaughter but before they are killed, the hair is pulled out. Did you know that tennis rackets (the ones not using nylon) are strung with catgut made of sheep intestines? Perhaps the most surprising is that in the popular household game, carom, the strikers were, till recently, made of ivory. The game has its origins in India.

Carom Was Fun, Then...

In the beginning, each piece was carefully crafted and patterned with intricate designs to make it aesthetically appealing. The striker, the biggest piece by reason of its function, which is to propel forward the other pieces, posed a special challenge, while the smaller pieces could be made of wood to uniform size and weight. Strikers made of wood proved to be either too big or too light. Stone was an option except that it was difficult to carve and chipped easily. Besides, it was considered too base a material for the royal patrons of the game. Marble was too heavy, exactly the opposite problem of stone. It was then that the choice fell to ivory. Here was a substance that was easy to shape, had just the right density and was considered precious enough to be handled by royalty. Since the royal stables had elephants, ivory was easily procurable and so the habit came to stay and became part of the game.

...But Not Any More!

With the passing of royalty and the changing of lifestyles, elephants could no longer be privately maintained. However, the demand for ivory continued to grow. This led to the cruel and indiscriminate poaching of wild elephants - killing tens of thousands with poison, pit traps, electrocution and guns to make things as inconsequential as carom strikers. The elephant was wiped out in all but two areas before the world took notice. Ivory trade was banned and among the items that were discontinued were ivory strikers. In any case, by now, a new plastic alternative had been evolved and is being commonly used.

Animal Welfare To The Rescue

However in India, professional organisations and tournament players continued to patronise ivory, hiding behind a loophole in the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Although it was forbidden to deal in Indian ivory, it was okay to use imported ivory. Since there was no way to tell the difference, all ivory was passed off as foreign and continued to remain in circulation. However, in 1991, the rule was amended and all ivory was unconditionally banned. Dealers were required to declare their ivory stock within six months, failing which it would become the property of the Government. Similarly, individuals now need a certificate from the Chief Wildlife Warden. Offenders can be punished with a fine of Rs 25,000 and seven years in jail. In March 1998, People For Animals served notice to the All India Carom Federation who had thus far not bothered about the implications of the new law. However, now they moved quickly to implement it. A resolution was passed banning the use of ivory strikers in May '98 and introducing alternatives. Players were informed that the use of an ivory striker could get them disqualified. Initially apprehensive about making the switch, they soon found that the new strikers have not affected their skill except to improve it. Besides, having realised the cruel consequences of the demand for ivory, they are relieved to have their hands no longer steeped in the blood of an innocent animal.

What You Can Do

There are thousands of people who unknowingly support the exploitation of animals by using products made from their parts. Each one of us has the power to stop this by educating others and setting an example. Begin to ask what sports products are made of. Write to leading manufacturers and retailers demanding cruelty-free alternatives. For eg, cricket balls can easily be stitched with something else.

Live and let live!