DOZENS of bare footed men took part in furious battle in Southampton - all in the name of sport.

It was the weekend of August 12-13, 1989, when athletic sportsmen gathered on the city’s sports centre for the fifth Southampton Punjab Sports Association Games.

A variety of traditional Indian sports were played including Indian wrestling and a rough and tumble version of British bulldog called Kabadhi.

Games organiser Ajit Singh Johel said: “This is the best event we have ever organised.”

“We have managed to get some of the best Indian sportsmen to come here.”

The highlight of the weekend was a friendly match between the British and Indian Kabadhi teams.