It is rare for the country’s hockey team not to have a player from Kodagu.
‘Shift in focus from sports to academics a reason for fewer players making it’
While the nation basks in the glory of the Indian hockey team scripting history at Tokyo Olympics by winning a medal (bronze) after 41 years, absence of even a single player from Kodagu in the current team has become a talking point among sports aficionados in the State.
Kodagu has a legacy of producing outstanding hockey players who have played for India in the World Cup and the Olympics and they include M.P. Ganesh, B.P. Govinda, Arjun Halappa, A.B. Subbaiah, M.M. Somaiah, and Len Aiyappa, to name a few.
It is rare for the country’s hockey team not to have a player from Kodagu, as it was during this Olympics. Experts say that a series of factors are at work as a result of which there is a decline in the number of players from Kodagu breaking into the national team.
Focus on academics
Mr. Ganesh, who played for India in the World Cup, Olympics, and Asian Games, said the shift in focus from sports to academics was a factor for this decline though both sports and academic are not mutually exclusive.
Though Karnataka in general and Kodagu sportspersons perform well at the junior levels, parents do not allow children to pursue sports beyond a certain age. Their intention is to get children admitted to professional courses through the sports quota, he added.
“Karnataka has reserved 91 seats in various professional courses for sportspersons. But once they secure admission, we don’t see them in the national camps as the focus shifts to academics,” said Mr. Ganesh.
Besides, the drive to excel in sports has waned to an extent due to the fact that many among the new generation of Kodavas are not given to hard work, said the Arjuna award winner. “During our times, we had to walk 5 to 6 km daily to reach our schools and hence, physical fitness was a natural attribute but it is not so in the present generation,” he added.
A unique hockey festival
The Kodava Hockey Festival, held every year since 1997, draws nearly 300 teams which is a record for any tournament. This is testimony to the continued though latent interest in the sport. But veteran B.J. Cariappa says it is not competitive enough for budding players to break into national team. For that, players have to work harder, have to be coached better, and be exposed to national-level tournaments where the competition is more stringent, he added.
B.J. Cariappa, hockey coach for junior men’s team, faulted the system run by officials which, he said, was not accountable. Apart from creating additional facilities and infrastructure which was the need of the hour, there was a lack of accountability among officials and coaches, according to Mr. Cariappa.
“I have visited a few training centres where trainees were not attentive and the coach wasn’t serious,” he added, pointing out that in one such centre the sole reason the coach was in Kodagu was for its pleasant weather.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by R Krishna Kumar / Mysuru – August 07th, 2021
The Indian pair lost in three games to the home duo of Amalie Magelund and Freja Ravn of Denmark.
In a match lasting just under an hour, the top-seeded home duo came from behind to beat the Indian pair in three games.(File Photo)
The Indian women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy finished runners-up at the Denmark Masters after going down narrowly against top seeds Amalie Magelund and Freja Ravn of Denmark in the final.
The duo, seeded second, squandered an opening game advantage to lose 21-15, 19-21, 14-21 to the Danish combination in just under an hour’s contest.
Among other Indians, Lakshya Sen had lost in the semifinals to France’s Christo Popov, while his brother Chirag Sen and Subhankar Dey, seeded fourth, bowed out at the quarterfinal stage.
In women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap was the most impressive but lost the semifinal to fourth seed Dane Julie Dawall Jakobsen.
source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sportstar / Home> Badminton / by PTI / August 09th, 2021
File picture of Niki Poonacha. – KAMESH SRINIVASAN
Former National champion Niki Poonachais finding time for a social cause amidst his tennis training.
The 26-year-old Niki, who had won the last ITF men’s tournament here in April, is helping in the organisation of a men’s ranking tournament in Chennai in collaboration with Rotaract Club of Madras and the Tennishub.
“The tournament will be held at the PowerPak Tennis Academy in Tharamani from September 2 to 5. The winner and runner-up will get ₹10,000 and ₹5,000 apart from goodies from tennishub,” said Niki. “All the funds raised from the event will be donated to Mahaishwar School for mentally challenged.”
Niki has been training well for the international circuit. “I am looking forward to competing in Tunisia and Egypt soon,” said Niki who trains at the Rohan Bopanna Academy in Bengaluru.
The Sea Riders, a group of motorcyclists, will cover close to 1,000km to commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and Goa’s Liberation
Panaji :
Folding away their crisp white uniforms and fatigues, the Indian Navy’s Sea Riders kicked off a six-day expedition to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Goa’s Liberation and 75 years of India’s independence. Ten riders from Goa Naval Area are participating in the ride from Goa to Madikeri and will return to Goa by August 14.
The Sea Riders are a group of passionate motorcyclists from the Indian Navy, including women, who have undertaken several expeditions across the country, including to the North Eastern estates, to create awareness. The six-day expedition will see the riders covering close to 1,000km.
“A motorcycle rally is being undertaken by Goa Naval Area to commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and the diamond jubilee of Goa’s Liberation. Ten riders are participating in the ride from Goa to Madikeri,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area Rear Admiral Philipose G Pynumootil flagged off the rally from the War Memorial, INS Gomantak on August 9.
The War Memorial at INS Gomantak was erected in honour of the personnel who made the supreme sacrifice during Goa Liberation.
At Madikeri, the riders will visit Field Marshal Cariappa Memorial, General Thimayya Museum and Sainik School, Kodagu.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> News> City News> Goa News / TNN / August 10th, 2021
India women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy finished runners-up at the Denmark Masters after going down narrowly against top seeds Amalie Magelund and Freja Ravn of Denmark in the final here.
The Indian pair, seeded second, squandered an opening game advantage to lose 21-15 19-21 14-21 to the Danish combination in just under an hour’s contest.
Among other Indians, Lakshya Sen had lost in the semi-finals to France’s Christo Popov, while his brother Chirag Sen and Subhankar Dey, seeded fourth, bowed out at the quarter-final stages.
In women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap was the most impressive but lost the semi-final to fourth seed Dane Julie Dawall Jakobsen.
source:http://www.mykhel.com / myKhel / Home> Badminton> News / by Unnikrishnan G / August 09th, 2021
In fact, the Tokyo Olympics win is reminiscent of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when India brought home the gold in hockey.
Chitradurga :
A resurgent India has shown the world that the fire is still alive, and Thursday’s 5-4 victory over a strong German side is much to cheer about. In fact, the Tokyo Olympics win is reminiscent of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when India brought home the gold in hockey.
Former India captain and lone Karnataka player of the winning team, MM Somaiah, said the game at Tokyo reminded him of the day they had played Spain in the finals, and a timely turn by his teammates helped the team scoop up a victory.
“The present team, which was 1-3 down, fought back well against Germany and equalled the score 3-3 by half-time, and finally won 5-4. The bronze medal has given a new lease of life for Indian hockey and the team should start strengthening its game now on, so that we go back to the golden era,” he added.
The country’s national sport, which was in a slump for some time, is back in the forefront and needs government support to surge ahead, Somaiah added. India’s bronze medal effort has come in for praise by many former internationals, who felt the players showed the grit they did in the Moscow Olympics finals; July 29, 1980 is a red-letter day for India.
The lanky right-half from Kodagu said the present team is mentally tough and doesn’t fear beating teams with higher rankings. “Though down 1-3, the Indians bounced back as the final whistle was blown. The entire team played a cohesive game and as a single unit. We are emotionally charged by the way our boys fought back,” he said.
Timely intervention by coach Graham Reid and the technical bench also helped the team excel in all aspects of the games, said Somaiah. He said that players at all levels need more exposure, and the academies at Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and Manipur should be replicated in every corner of the country, to tap and train the best hockey talents.
On the need to support hockey in Karnataka and especially Kodagu, Somaiah said the game needs support from all sections of society, including the government, so that young talents can be nurtured. Reacting to a question on foreign coaches, he said the nationality of coaches is immaterial, but the person in charge of the team should give it his best shot.
The performance of the Indian team was exemplary, and our boys scripted a historic win on foreign soil after a gap of four decades. All the players played exceptionally well, though the efforts of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh were really commendable and his saves were excellent. The performance should inspire youngsters, so that hockey can flourish again in the country and Karnataka, said former goalkeeper and Hockey Karnataka secretary AB Subbaiah.
He said the time has come for governments to frame a sports policy where more school-level hockey tournaments and competitions take place. The private sector should also support sports in a big way, he added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sports> Olympics / by G Subhash Chandra, Express News Service / August 06th, 2021
Joshna Chinappa sits 10th in the rankings and will next be seen in the British Open in Hull, England from August 16.
File Photo: Joshna Chinappa has entered the top-10 for the first time since 2016. – THE HINDU
India’s squash star Joshna Chinappahas returned to the top-10 of PSA world rankings following a pre-quarterfinal finish at the World Championships in Chicago.
Joshna had entered the top-10 for the first time since 2016.
The current rankings are dominated by Egypt with five of its players in the top-10, including world number one Nour El Sherbini. Joshna is 10th in the standings.
In men’s rankings, India’s Saurav Ghosal has dropped to 15 following a pre-quarterfinal finish in Chicago last month.
Joshna will next be seen in the British Open in Hull, England from August 16.
source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sportstar / Home> Squash / by PTI / August 02nd, 2021
Ten Indian hockey enthusiasts including two from Mumbai who were to land in Tokyo on the opening day of the Olympics, will now have to watch hockey on television. All of them were going to watch and support the Indian hockey teams at any Olympics for the first time.
These 10 persons in the 30 to 65 age group from different Indian cities are members of the core group of the One Team One Dream (OTOD) and were looking forward to watching and cheering for the Indian men and women hockey teams. Following an announcement by the Japanese government that no spectators would be allowed at the Olympic Games, they abandoned their travel plans. They were to be joined by 11 other OTOD members and Persons of Indian Origin from Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
One Team One Dream is a group of passionate hockey lovers who follow the Indian national hockey team around the world. The OTOD was formed in 2010 after some hockey lovers met during the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games in India. Their dream is to see India win at the Olympics and win the World Cup again. The group is easily recognised at the hockey events with their white turbans and white head scarves.
Leo Anthony Devadoss, a banker turned coordinator of the group who once represented Karnataka State at the junior level, said while 18 OTOD members had booked in a private apartment in Shinagawa and made an advance payment of Rs2 lakh, their friends from Canada, Finland and Malaysia had made their own arrangements. Anthony has also volunteered as a coach at the Dhanraj-Ballal hockey academy. “Raja Namdhari, a sports goods dealer in Delhi is actually the driving forcing behind One Team One Dream. Our OTOD members were excited about meeting after a year and a half. We last met at FIH Pro League in Bhubaneshwar in January 2020. It is not just about the money we lost. We are worried about the opportunity we lost. We are confident the hockey men’s team will make it the victory stand and we hope the Indian women’s hockey team will make it to the quarterfinal. They have it in them to beat any team in the world. We are lucky the Mumbai based sole ticketing agent of the Tokyo Olympics has promised to reimburse a certain per centage of the ticket money which will be refunded by the Tokyo Olympic Committee. The apartment owner has been very understanding and he has agreed to refund us the amount. It is however a huge disappointment but it has been softened by the knowledge no spectators policy at the Games is in the interest of public health. We were also looking forward to buying tickets for boxing, wrestling and badminton.’’
Devadoss acknowleded help from Siegfred Aikman, the national coach of the Japanese men hockey team. “Iakman has been a good friend of OTOD. We met Aikman, designated as the FIH (International Hockey Federation) High Performance coach, at the 2018 World Cup in Bhubaneshwar. He was guiding us regarding our tour to Tokyo. So was my friend’s mother, Dr Yashoda, a second generation Japanese paediatrician who runs a private clinic in Bengaluru. She was also to go to Tokyo to watch the games as many of her archer son, Rakshak’s friends were going but even she is not going now as there are no spectators.’’
Devadoss said the OTOD group is now planning to meet in Bengaluru from August 1 to 6. “We will miss the live action at the Oi hockey stadium would have been only three miles from Shinagawa city where we were to stay. We will now be watching the quarter finals, semi finals and finals of the men and women’s hockey team. We have arranged for a big screen to be put up just for our group.
On August 4, we have arranged for a lunch and reached out to 17 Bengaluru based hockey Olympians.
Of them, eight hockey Olympians including Arjun Halappa, Sabu Virkey, Poonacha, Bharat Chetri, Ashish Ballal, Nikin Thimaiyya V.R. Raghnunath and SK Uthappa have promised to join us. Hopefully, we will be able to persuade them to join us in cheering for the Indian women hockey team at the semi final match the same day.’’
source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> India> Olympics Special / by Tripti Nath / July 23rd, 2021
For the first time, India will have more than two sailors at the Tokyo Olympics, including Kodagu-born Kelappanda Chengappa Ganapathy and Nethra Kumanan, the first Indian woman sailor.
This is also for the first time India will be competing in more than one sailing event — Laser Radial, Laser Standard and 49er
While Nethra Kumanan will be in Laser Radial and Vishnu Saravanan in Laser Standard, K.C. Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar will be in 49er.
According to Varun and Ganapathy, sailing, unlike other sporting disciplines, does not have multiple events to win, like a freestyle swimmer can swim in 100 mts 500 mts and so on and likewise an athlete can run in 100 mrs 400 mrs etc.
It is noteworthy that only in 2021 sailors from India have qualified for the Olympics and will be participating as qualified sports persons, as till date all entries have been through wild card entries or quota slots. Asia has one slot in each sailing class and Japan being the host country.
Ganapathy is the son of Kelappanda late Deepak Chengappa and Reshma Chengappa (from Allaranda family). His mother Reshma runs a furniture business in Chennai and the family is settled there. His grandparents are Kelappanda late Pratap and Padma Prathap. Padma resides at Kolthodu village near Hatur village in South Kodagu.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / July 22nd, 2021
Enables Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash, the first Indian to do so, to make the Olympic ‘A’ cut.
Sajan Prakash had gone through a tough phase over the last year or so including a career-threatening injury and he overcame it with sheer hard work and perseverance. In that tough phase, Bengaluru-based Physical Preparation Coach Kulletira Jeeth Devaiah helped Sajan Prakash overcome his difficulties and finally make it to the Olympics. Jeeth has his roots at Napoklu in Kodagu. In a chat with Star of Mysore, Jeeth spoke about his personal goals and achievements, future plans and training Sajan for the biggest stage in international sport. Excerpts:
Ace swimmer Sajan Prakash is preparing hard for the Tokyo Olympics. It was a case of now or never for the Kerala swimmer who qualified for the world games at the 58th Sette Colli Trophy in Rome with a timing of one minute, 56.38 seconds in the heats, 0.10 seconds quicker than the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) to make the direct cut to Olympics. It was also his second straight Olympics, which no other Indian has been able to achieve previously.
Star of Mysore (SOM): As a Physical Preparations Coach, tell us your association with Sajan Prakash and how your training and mentorship helped him.
Jeeth Devaiah: Sajan Prakash was in Railways and I too was. So we had a common ground. He was always a high performer and in 2014 just before the Rio Olympics — where he was the only swimmer to qualify — he had some kind of a niggle and since he knew me well he came to Pro Care Galen and Performance Centre in Bengaluru where I and my physiotherapist Dr. Gautham worked on him. Then he went to Rio and we were connected since then.
Sajan Prakash’s skills being evaluated.
SOM: What was the nature of his problem?
Jeeth Devaiah: After Rio, Sajan moved to Thanyapura in Phuket, Thailand, where he was selected by the FINA Academy. During training, he was complaining of neck and shoulder pain. He wanted me to go there and help him out. In swimming, we call it a ground-based activity where we do a lot of core work, strength work and injury prevention work. I was in Phuket for a couple of months where I brought him to a level of fitness.
We had our plans cut out but unfortunately he had a major injury and which again not many could diagnose. Then he came back to Bengaluru and stayed with me in my house. I took care of him personally for 2 to 3 months where we did a proper rehab session and made him stop swimming temporarily. Later he went to Phuket where he started swimming and the pain recurred.
OM: Was he able to overcome the pain?
Jeeth Devaiah: Yes, he was pretty hardworking and he could manage both swimming and pain management. We were in touch online on what needs to be done for injury management and things like that. He later moved to Dubai where his coach Pradeep and other physiotherapists took over. We had absolute trust that he would qualify for the Tokyo ‘A’ cut. Also, Sajan is disciplined and has a great sense of self-belief. We are proud of him.
Jeeth Devaiah training Sajan Prakash.
SOM: Do you have any plans to go to Tokyo to see Sajan perform?
Jeeth Devaiah: Fitness has always been my forte. Not many people will dare to dream big. I trained at the highest level in cricket, hockey and football. I have been a hockey player myself and I started a job in Railways at the age of 19. In 2004, I forayed into a full-fledged career in physical preparation and started work with Indian Railways for the Ranji Trophy and that year, we won the trophy.
I have not looked back since then and my career graph went up. In 2004, I joined the Indian Cricket Team along with many trainers under Coach Greg Chapell, who was very particular about Indian players experiencing the best in the fitness scenario and the latest advancements. I was one among the four trainers selected to be with the Indian team and trained various teams till 2010. The same year I trained the Delhi Daredevils (now known as Delhi Capitals). And the same year I got an opportunity to train the women’s hockey team before the London Olympics but unfortunately we did not qualify.
Jeeth at work
SOM: Where did you train football teams?
Jeeth Devaiah: That was Esbjerg Football Club, Denmark, in 2019 and also Esbjerg Academy Team. We won a tournament in Holland and people were shocked to see an Indian running behind the Danish team and it was a good experience in my career to understand how professional they are. Their sessions are all planned months in advance and I learnt to bring back the same to India. In 2014, I went to Australia and worked with the Australia National Rugby Team and Sydney Kings Men’s Basketball.
I also worked with I League team Sudeva Delhi FC last year and we were only Indians and no foreigners as the promoters wanted to give maximum opportunity to Indian players. We fared pretty well considering we trained under a bio-bubble environment (no going outside) for months. Staying in a bio-bubble is draining physically and mentally as everything is restricted and your freedom is completely curtailed.
Sajan Prakash in Bengaluru training with Jeeth Devaiah
SOM: How was it working with Women’s Hockey Team?
Jeeth Devaiah: That was in the World Cup and the girls had been to Argentina where they were beaten badly. At that time the team coach too was from Railways and we had a good understanding. They had no concept of fitness. I had to go in and change their mind-set. I had to teach the women that fitness is also important and made them follow strength training guidelines which they are still following for Tokyo Olympics.
There was a misconception that women should not lift more weights and I broke that. In fact, at one place in China where we had been for Asian Champions Trophy and just before the match we did one set of strength training, a warm up and straight ventured into the field to play. That was the confidence the girls had. And after 2010, the girls started understanding that fitness plays a crucial role and it was a good experience for me also.
With Esbjerg Football Club-Denmark.
SOM: How do you plan fitness programming?
Jeeth Devaiah: We plan the fitness programming according to the muscular and skeletal assessment. Our players are keener on skills rather than fitness, I would like for them to focus on both equally. My focus as a preparation coach is that they should not miss any games in terms of injuries so the first priority is strength and condition coaching. If you keep them fit without pain and aches they will be able to play more and give their best.
SOM: What are your goals and ambitions for the future?
Jeeth Devaiah: My goal is to work with an ISL (Indian Super League) team. I have worked with Sudeva Delhi FC and also with the Denmark League. ISL is more challenging and I am already in talks with a couple of teams.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by B.C. Thimmaiah / July 22nd, 2021
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