JAPAN'IN "X" PATRI ORU KADHAI ....

Just tell me the sport being described below.


Bicycle racing in Japan started in 1898, and on that evening, "gaudy ladies from the red-light quarters came together to the racing site and presented a grand spectacle which was more impressive than the competition itself". X is a Japanese social institution which compares most closely with greyhound racing in the west and is probably is the cheapest form of entertainment you can find in Japan. Five minutes before the start of each race the music starts. The music increases in volume and the lights around the 'fighting gate' come on - a blaze of neon! Out come the riders - they look like extras from a Japanese cartoon - bright colours and lots of padding. They start slowly with little jockeying for position until the pacer goes off and then all hell breaks loose. The races typically require photo finishes and after the finish the old men watch the TV screens intently to see if they've won while the riders circle the track once and ride back in through the 'fighting gate' to their little hotel.