Category Archives: Sports

Grant Rs. 5 Crore For Kodava Hockey Festival: MP To CM

Leaders, Sports

Mysore/Mysuru:

Following various Kodava Samajas and Kodava families submitting memorandums to MLAs and MLCs from the district to urge the State Government to earmark Rs. 5 crore in the State Budget for the annual Kodava Family Hockey Festival, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has reiterated the demand and has written to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa urging him to allocate at least Rs. 5 crore in the ensuing budget. 

The Kodava Hockey Festival is projected as a promotion of Kodava culture and tradition. The Government should earmark Rs. 5 crore in the budget, he urged. The rich hockey culture ingrained in Kodagu has culminated into producing an arsenal of players who have time and again represented India at global hockey tournaments and many of them had been a part of the Olympics, the MP noted. 

In Kodagu, the sport runs in the veins of Kodavas and that is why they give a befitting tribute by organising the Kodava Hockey Festival every year. The Festival has been a true revelry of the sport that has been an expression of passion. It is a celebration of the Kodava families who come together, irrespective of their age, gender and profession to simply devote time to their core value of sportsmanship, he said. 

The Kodava family hockey had even entered the world records and has been contributing to the sports arena of the country. More than 500 hockey players from this tiny district have played in the State, National and International tournaments and the festival is a platform for youngsters to display their talent and rise to State, National and International levels, the MP said. 

More than 6,000 players take part during each Kodava family hockey tournament and Kodava families spend crores of rupees to host the month-long tournament. To promote the Kodava culture and tradition, the Government should earmark Rs. 5 crore for the tournament in the budget every year, he stated. 

The festival was the brainchild of late Pandanda Kuttappa who started the tournament with just 60 teams. Now, more than 350 teams of different families participate in the tournament. This festival is recognised as one of the largest field hockey tournaments in the world that has entered the Limca Book of Records, Pratap Simha noted. 

Each year, the tournament is organised by a different Kodava family (okka) and the name of the family is given as the name of the tournament. The opening and closing ceremonies are held with pomp and splendour. Many locals set up food and merchandise stalls around the venue to do brisk business because of the large crowds that gather to watch the matches, he said. 

Kodava Samajas submit memorandum to CM

Several Kodava Samajas under the leadership of Bengaluru Kodava Samaja submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to allocate Rs. 5 crore for Kodava Family Hockey Festival. The delegation was led by Kodagu District BJP Executive Member Thelappanda Shivakumar Nanaiah and Bengaluru Kodava Samaja President Mukkatira T. Nanaiah. The delegation also urged the CM to establish a Sports University in Kodagu.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 23rd, 2021

K Nidugane Premier League cricket tourney today

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, Sports
KPL tournament logo.

Vismaya Cricketers of Hebbettegeri will organise K Nidugane Premier League (KPL) cricket tournament at Field Marshal K M Cariappa College ground in Madikeri on February 7. 

K Nidugane Gram Panchayat member Kokkalera K Ayyappa will inaugurate the tournament, while Field Marshal K M Cariappa College lecturer Dr Major Raghav will preside. The valedictory of the tournament will be held at 5 pm. 

A total of five teams will take part in the tournament. During the valedictory, the newly-elected members of K Nidugane Gram Panchayat will be felicitated.

In addition, Covid warriors like Asha worker Nalini, staff nurse Usha and lab technician Nanditha Gonsalves will be felicitated.

The top scorer in SSLC, M G Dhanush, will also be felicitated on the occasion. 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / February 07th, 2021

Kodagu Lass Unnathi Breaks P.T. Usha’s Record In Hurdle Race

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Completes 80-metre hurdles (U-16) in 11.50 seconds at National Junior Athletics Championships

Bollanda Unnathi Aiyappa from Kodagu has created a new national record in the 80-metre hurdles held on Feb. 8 and 300-metre hurdles held on Feb. 9 at the 36th National Junior Athletics Championships at the Sarusajai Stadium in Assam.

Representing Karnataka in the Under-16 category, Unnathi Aiyappa clocked 11.50 seconds in the 80-metre hurdle and bagged the gold medal. It is a new national record. In the 300-metre hurdles too, she clocked 40.11 seconds, creating a record. She defeated Soumita Paul (West Bengal) 40.15 and Roshani Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 40.94.

She is the daughter of former Indian heptathlete Pramila Aiyappa (from Guddanda family) and quartermiler B.P. Aiyappa. Notably, it was her father, presently a national athletic coach, trained her to achieve the feat.

In 1979, the legend P.T. Usha had created a record in Under-16 category by completing the 80-metre hurdles in 12.2 seconds and in 1985, Karnataka’s A.N. Rekha matched Usha’s record. Now Unnathi has broken this record to wind up the race in 11.50 seconds.

In the 300-metre hurdles, Unnathi clocked 40.11 seconds, thereby breaking a national record that was held by an athlete from West Bengal.

Unnathi was a constant presence at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru from a very young age, accompanying Pramila during contests and later on, as a trainee under her parents.

She watched on television her mother winning the Asian Games bronze in the heptathlon at Guangzhou in 2010 but at five, was too young to understand its significance. Soon though, she too was winning medals on her own at the school level and now she has risen to national level, breaking records.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / February 11th, 2021

BWF rankings: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Ashwini Ponnappa break into world’s top 20

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa jumped 16 places to reach a career-best ranking of world number 19.

Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa (Photo | PTI)

New Delhi :

India’s mixed doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa was rewarded for its stupendous show at the recent-concluded Asia leg as it broke into the world’s top 20 in the latest BWF rankings announced on Tuesday.

Satwik and Ashwini, who had become the first Indian mixed doubles pair to reach the semifinals of a world tour Super 1000 event at the Toyota Thailand Open, jumped 16 places to reach a career-best ranking of world number 19.

The duo had stunned fifth seeded Malaysian combination of Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying in the quarterfinals.

In the men’s doubles, Satwik and Chirag Shetty retained their world number 10 spot after reaching the semifinals at Toyota Thailand Open.

Among others, world champion P V Sindhu remained static at world number 7, while Saina improved a place to world number 19.

In the men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth moved up a spot to 13th, while Sameer Verma jumped four places to 27th spot after his quarterfinal showing at Toyota Thailand Open.

B Sai Praneeth, who lost in the opening round of the first event and was forced to withdraw from the second tournament after testing COVID-19 positive, slipped a spot to 17th, while Parupalli Kashyap, who struggled with a calf muscle injury, dropped two places to 26th spot.

M R Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, who started playing together in 2019, zoomed 33 places to 64th in the men’s doubles.

The BWF World Rankings reopened following the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals which concluded on Sunday.

The first tournament in the Olympic Qualifying period for the Race to Tokyo will be the Swiss Open Super 300, to be held from March 2 to 7.

The qualification period will end with the Indian Open (May 11-16), with the rankings published on May 18 to be considered for deciding the players making the cut for the Tokyo Games.

Last March, the BWF had frozen the world rankings, saying standings as on March 17 will be the basis for entry and seedings when it restarts the international calendar.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Other / by PTI / February 02nd, 2021

Jagat and Anita Nanjappa: Meet the champion couple of Indian motorsports

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Like Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal to Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, Indian motorsports power couple Jagat and Anita Nanjappa are dominating Indian Rally Racing.

Jagat and Anita Nanjappa: champion couple of Indian motorsports

Couples in sports are not a rare a thing in India. From Dinesh Karthik and Dipika Pallikal to Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, the Indian sporting fraternity has seen quite a few powerful sporting couples. Amongst many lies the name of Jagat and Anita Nanjappa. Now, both of these names might not be as popular as others, but the efforts and hard work put in by this Karnataka couple to promote motorsports in India is second to none.

So, how did it all start for this power-couple of Indian motorsports ?

For starters, Jagat’s father Appanna was a race driver himself. It was from his father that a young Jagat imbibed the passion for fast motors.

With coffee planting being the main business for his family, Jagat had plenty of time to pursue his love for motor racing. Growing up in Kodagu district, Jagat started racing bikes as a hobby in 1981.  It was though after his marriage with Anita that success started following him in the race tracks. The couple has won countless rallies like the Time, Speed and Distance (TSD), Raid and Stage Rallies and others with Jagat as the driver and Anita as the navigator.

The tyre company MRF soon started sponsoring them owing to their tremendous success in the race track and they started competing under the banner of ‘Team MRF’.

The couple won nine out of eleven Annual Indian National Rally Riders Championships from 1986 to 1996, losing out only in the year 1990 and 1992. Besides, they also found success in The Great Desert Rally in 1988, The Coimbatore rally in 1992, The MASA rally in 1993 and 1994 and The Popular rally in Kochi in the 1993 and 1994.

Moreover, they ended as runners up with car in the Indian National Racing Championship in the year 1998, 2000 and 2001 whilst competing in the 1400cc category.

In order to give back to the society and popularise the sport of motor racing in India, Jagat and Anita set up the Universal Sports Club at Bangalore in 2002 with an aim to develop the infrastructure for the sport in the country. They also established the Nanjappa Racing Foundation to organise professional motor racing events across the country.

A large portion of the credit for the current state of motor sports in India should definitely go to this motor-couple. It is hard to imagine what the level of motor sports in India would have been if not for Jagat and Anita Nanjappa.

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Karnataka / by Abhijit Nair / January 20th, 2021

Rohan Bopanna gets new Australian Open doubles partner

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

India’s Rohan Bopanna will emerge from his 14-day quarantine in Melbourne later on Saturday with a spring in his step after his quest for a new doubles partner for next month’s Australian Open finally ended.

The former doubles World No. 3 is one of 72 players who have been confined to their hotel rooms in Melbourne after fellow passengers on the flights that brought them to Australia tested positive for COVID-19.

Compounding his problem, Bopanna was forced into searching for a new partner after Joao Sousa was unable to travel to Australia on time after testing COVID-19 positive.

“Playing with Ben McLachlan from Japan in Australian open,” Bopanna told Reuters in a message on Saturday.

McLachlan is a New Zealand-born player who represents Japan. He will team up with China’s Duan Yingying for the mixed doubles.

In next week’s ATP event at Melbourne Park, Bopanna will partner Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen in the men’s doubles.

Denied training like most other players, Bopanna earlier told Reuters he had been relying on exercise bands and mats to stay fit.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sportstar / Home> Tennis / January 30th, 2021

Charulata Somal Takes Charge As Kodagu DC

Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Madikeri:

IAS officer Charulata Somal has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu District. She took charge this morning from Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena who was functioning as in-charge DC. 

Charulata replaces previous DC Annies Kanmani Joy, who has left to the United States on a long leave to join her husband. Charulata Somal is a 2012-batch IAS Officer from the Karnataka cadre. Brought up in Mumbai, she did her graduation in Economics Honours from St. Stephen’s College of Delhi University.

She has served as Deputy Secretary, Chief Minister’s Secretariat. She has also served as Commissioner, Shivamogga City Corporation with additional charge as Managing Director, Shivamogga Smart City Corporation. She has been the CEO of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat and as Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation. 

Charulata is the first IAS officer to have gone on Antarctica expedition twice in 2016. She had got an opportunity to be a part of the International Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Swan for ‘A Leadership on the Edge Program to the Last Wilderness on Earth.’ Robert Swan is the first person in the history to have walked unsupported to both the South Pole and the North Pole back in the 1980s.

With 140 participants across the globe and themes focusing on sustainability, energy and climate change, the 15-day expedition in March 2016 was an inspiring experience for Somal. Her second chance to go to Antarctica was in November the same year when Swan invited her for an 80 Degrees South Expedition.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 23rd, 2021

Madikeri: Self-start without motor – Kodagu mechanic’s invention

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, Sports

Madikeri :

Motorbikes have become part of life in India where roads of different types and make pass through different terrains. A mechanic here, who loves motorbikes, has utilised the time he got due to coronavirus break, to invent a self-start for motorbikes without requiring any motor. Venkatesh from Kushalnagar here is the inventor of this device.

People now-a-days are not willing to kick-start their vehicles. Many bikes marketed in the recent past have self-start facilities. But those made a few years back do not have this facility, and repeated kicking is unavoidable. There are people who are attached to their old bikes and hence do not want to sell them. Venkatesh’s invention will help them.

Venkatesh’s alternate generating system kit (AGS) works by using winding copper wires. For this self-start, no machine or motor is needed. This is made by just using copper wire and magnet. It can be fitted to bikes without damaging any part. The price of the kit may be between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000. Venkatesh has uploaded video of its working in YouTube and several have already booked for the kits.

His other invention, fixing of double engines, has also become a hit.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri (SP) / January 21st, 2021

Former Natl. Hockey Player No More

Records, All, Sports

Somwarpet:

 S.M. Kuldeep (40), son of former MLC S.G. Medappa of Shanthalli village, passed away on Monday at a private hospital in Mysuru following brief illness.

He leaves behind his parents, wife and two sons. Last rites were performed on Tuesday at Shanthalli.

Kuldeep was a National-level Hockey player and had captained the State Junior Hockey team during 1995-96.

He had also represented Air India team in hockey tournaments.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 21st, 2021

State-Level Coconut Shooting Contest On Jan. 9

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Mysore/Mysuru:

 Nelji Farmers Development and Recreation Association, Nelji village in Kodagu, has organised the 2nd State-level Coconut Shooting Competition at its Club premises at Nelji on Jan. 9.

Disclosing this at a press meet here this morning, Association President M.K. Nanjappa said that the contests will be inaugurated at 9 am by Nellamakkada Sharath Somanna of Ammathi, Palekanda Sai and Machetteira Naveen. Contest will be held in two categories — 0.22 rifle and 12 bore gun categories.

He further said that the first three winners will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 50,000, Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 20,000 receptively in 0.22 rifle category and Rs. 10,000, Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively in 12 bore gun category, along with a trophy each.

Valedictory will be held on the same day in which Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, former senior Sports Officer of Indian Institute of Science at Bengaluru C.P. Poonacha, Zilla Panchayat Member and former President of the Standing Committee C.K. Bopanna of Gonikoppa and President of Napoklu Kodava Samaja A. Manu Muthappa will be the chief guests.

For details, contact Mandira Nanda on Mob: 93803-03387 or Kaibulira Umesh on 94483-26055 or Mandira Sachin on Mob: 73381-75764.

Association Vice-President K. Umesh Uthappa, Member M. Appanna and Director B. Devi Devayya were present during the press meet.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / by January 04th, 2021