Monthly Archives: July 2017

Tennis champ Rohan Bopanna is back in Bengaluru and already started training the next-gen

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, World Opinion
Rohan Bopanna along with Serbian coach Dragan Bukumirovic at his tennis academy in Bengaluru. (Image: Instagram/rohanbopanna0403)
Rohan Bopanna along with Serbian coach Dragan Bukumirovic at his tennis academy in Bengaluru. (Image: Instagram/rohanbopanna0403)

The French Open mixed-doubles champ Rohan Bopanna, who made it to the Wimbledon quarter-final, is back in Bengaluru. Taking no time off after his long month of play, the tennis star was back in action, not for his game, but to train children at his tennis academy.

Bopanna shared this picture on social media of him with his students. “Always a great feeling to be back in Bangalore at the tennis academy.” And looks like the kids are getting tips not just from one pro but Serbian coach Dragan Bukumirovic too.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / ET Home> Magazines> Panache / by Maleeva Rebello , ET Bureau / June 25th, 2017

Arebashe culture summit tomorrow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

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Mysuru :

“Karnataka Arebashe Culture and Literary Academy and Kodagu Gowda Samaja are jointly organising a summit at Vijayanagar Kodagu Gowda Samaja tomorrow,” said Kolyadha Girish at a press meet on Friday.

“MLA Vasu will inaugurate the event. MLA K G Bopaiah, Surthale Somanna, Periyana Jayananda, Chettimadu Janardhan, Kunjila Muthamma and others will attend the programme.

Chettimadu Janardhan, Kuntikana Ganapathi, and others were present at the press meet. (MR/KMR).

source: http://www.citytoday.news / Home> Mysore / by CT Bureau / July 22nd, 2017

Samiti too lays claim on Light House Hill Road

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Mangaluru :

The controversy surrounding naming of Light House Hill Road took a historical turn with Sullia Amara Kranti Utsava Samiti too laying their claim to name the road. Turning back pages of history to shed light on role played by Vokkaliga community prior to India’s first War of Independence, the Samiti demanded that the road be named Bavuta Gudde Road and the hillock which also has St Aloysius College continue to be referred to as Bavuta Gudde.

Gopal Peraje, convener of the Samiti said the 1837 revolt against the British, a good two-decades before the first War of Independence of 1857 was the offshoot of dethroning of the Kodava ruler in 1834 by imperial rulers. The revolt engulfed Kodagu, Sampaje, Sullia, Bellare, Puttur, Kumble, Manjeshwar and even Mangaluru which saw thousands of people rally round the leadership of Ramayya Gowda of Kedambadi. Ramayya was ably assisted by many leaders, he said.

The dethroning of the Kodava ruler and change in taxation system from material to monetary terms were the main reasons for sparking the revolt, he said. The rebels that marched from Kedambadi took control of government treasuries in Sullia, Bellare, Puttur and Kumble and also went on to wrest control of Mangaluru from the British, he said. The rebels lowered the British flag that was erected on Bavuta Gudde and hoisted the flag of Haleri dynasty of Kodagu there.

Noting that the rebels wilted under the East India Company’s counter-offensive and many rebels were captured and prominent leaders hanged in public at Bikarnakatte and another leader publicly hanged in Madikeri Fort, Gopal said the rebels ruled Mangaluru for 13-days from April 5, 1837. The Mangaluru City Corporation and state government must take this historic fact in to account and name the road as Bavuta Gudde Road to commemorate this freedom struggle, he noted.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Mangalore News / by Jaideep Shenoy, TNN / July 25th, 2017

National Hockey Academy springs to life, finally

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

While a group of about 25 boys and girls each was selected last year, there were neither dedicated coaches nor clear plans on how to go about the process.

National Hockey Academy CEO, M.P. Ganesh, assured that no junior player had been left without direction. - K. MURALI KUMAR
National Hockey Academy CEO, M.P. Ganesh, assured that no junior player had been left without direction. – K. MURALI KUMAR

Two years after it was conceived as a platform to train talented youngsters, the Delhi-based National Hockey Academy will finally see the first of its trainees in July after try-outs for the same were finalised over the last week of June.

While a group of about 25 boys and girls each was selected last year, there were neither dedicated coaches nor clear plans on how to go about the process, and that is something Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India seem to have sorted out.

“A list of about 120 boys and 110 girls was received from Hockey India, and 27 boys and 22 girls have been shortlisted. Four have been kept on stand-by in case of any discrepancy after age verification for which we have already sent details. The age criterion was 14-17 years, or those born between Jaunary 1, 2000, and December 31, 2003. The target is to have this batch ready in time for the 2024 Olympics,” Academy CEO, M.P. Ganesh, told Sportstar.

The former India captain and coach, who was brought on board for an initial period of three years, has also been involved in preparing the blueprint for the NHA. The selected juniors will be called up in the next two weeks, and sent to Shilaroo for training.

The trials, though, were not free of controversy. Almost half of those called up for trials were selected by Hockey India’s zonal performance managers B.J. Cariappa and Pramod Bathlaw. Sources confirmed that Bathlaw’s list, comprising players from the northern states, was under scrutiny for recommendations en masse from only a handful of academies and that he had been removed from the post by Hockey India.

Officials also revealed that he was kept away from the stadium during the trials. The players were tested on fitness, skills and game intelligence, with HI’s High Performance Director David John overseeing the selection. There was also a question mark on the fate of the 25 players selected last year. While some have been moved to the national junior core group, the others have been either retained after the trials or sent back to their regional training centres.

No junior, Ganesh declared, had been left without direction. “In fact, I spoke to the SAI director general, Injeti Srinivas, to make sure that the kids being sent back to the STCs were re-admitted. We cannot play with their future,” he said.

Ganesh said the next step was to appoint coaches for the NHA. “We want at least one foreign coach in the set-up to train and develop Indian coaches. It has been approved, and we are trying to get things in place,” he said.

Coal India will be the sponsoring partner for the Academy. “We are also looking at getting teachers for various subjects to visit and teach the kids, who will then appear for exams through open school,” Ganesh said.

source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / SportStar Live / Home> Hockey / by Uthara Ganesan / New Delhi – July 03rd, 2017

Siteless asked to enrol their names

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Uncategorized

Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza asked the homeless and the siteless to enrol their names with the district administration.

Chairing a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe committee meeting at deputy commissioner’s office in Madikeri on Sunday, he said the district administration has a target to provide 1,000 sites to the needy.

But only 300 have registered their names so far. They need to submit their name, address, ration card and the proof of their residence in any of the districts. He said it has been decided to distribute around 1,000 title deeds to the beneficiaries under 94C. The district in-charge minister will distribute the facilities in a programme to be held in the next month.

Fisheries department senior assistant director K T Darshan said the families belonging to backward castes have been living in tents in Harangi Backwaters area. They should be provided with sites.

The deputy commissioner asked the officials to identify the lands for Ambedkar Bhavan in every hobli. The Revenue department officials have been told to identify 25 to 50 gunte land, he said.

Assistant commissioner Dr Nanjundegowda, district social welfare officer Mayadevi Galagali, ITDP officer Prakash, taluk panchayat executive officer Padnekar and taluk social welfare officer Ramegowda were present.

Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza asked the homeless and the siteless to enrol their names with the district administration.

Chairing a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe committee meeting at deputy commissioner’s office in Madikeri on Sunday, he said the district administration has a target to provide 1,000 sites to the needy.

But only 300 have registered their names so far. They need to submit their name, address, ration card and the proof of their residence in any of the districts. He said it has been decided to distribute around 1,000 title deeds to the beneficiaries under 94C. The district in-charge minister will distribute the facilities in a programme to be held in the next month.

Fisheries department senior assistant director K T Darshan said the families belonging to backward castes have been living in tents in Harangi Backwaters area. They should be provided with sites.

The deputy commissioner asked the officials to identify the lands for Ambedkar Bhavan in every hobli. The Revenue department officials have been told to identify 25 to 50 gunte land, he said.

Assistant commissioner Dr Nanjundegowda, district social welfare officer Mayadevi Galagali, ITDP officer Prakash, taluk panchayat executive officer Padnekar and taluk social welfare officer Ramegowda were present.

Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza asked the homeless and the siteless to enrol their names with the district administration.

Chairing a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe committee meeting at deputy commissioner’s office in Madikeri on Sunday, he said the district administration has a target to provide 1,000 sites to the needy.

But only 300 have registered their names so far. They need to submit their name, address, ration card and the proof of their residence in any of the districts. He said it has been decided to distribute around 1,000 title deeds to the beneficiaries under 94C. The district in-charge minister will distribute the facilities in a programme to be held in the next month.

Fisheries department senior assistant director K T Darshan said the families belonging to backward castes have been living in tents in Harangi Backwaters area. They should be provided with sites.

The deputy commissioner asked the officials to identify the lands for Ambedkar Bhavan in every hobli. The Revenue department officials have been told to identify 25 to 50 gunte land, he said.

Assistant commissioner Dr Nanjundegowda, district social welfare officer Mayadevi Galagali, ITDP officer Prakash, taluk panchayat executive officer Padnekar and taluk social welfare officer Ramegowda were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by DH News Service, Madikeri / July 17th, 2017

Coffee: Higher output a risk for prices in 2017-18

Coffee News, World Opinion

India’s output by volume tilts towards Robusta, at 70% of the estimated coffee output in 2016-17, according to Coffee Board data

Graphic by Subrata Jana/Mint
Graphic by Subrata Jana/Mint

The headline forecast for coffee in 2017-18 indicates consumption is growing, while output could be flat. Coffee output is expected at 159 million bags—a bag is 60kg—the same as the previous year, according to the US department of agriculture’s (USDA’s) forecast. Domestic consumption is pegged to increase by 1.3% and along with higher exports, is expected to lower closing stocks of coffee in 2017-18. That is ordinarily a good situation for prices.

The trend looks somewhat different when you consider the two varieties, Arabica and Robusta. In 2016-17, the Arabica crop had risen by 14% but is now expected to fall by 3.6% mainly due to a decline in Brazil, which has an off year for the crop.

The Robusta variety, on the other hand, is expected to increase by 6.7%, as output in countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and even India is projected to increase. These countries saw output decline in 2016-17 due to bad weather conditions. Vietnam is the largest grower of Robusta and its output is expected to benefit from good rains between January and March, said the USDA report.

India’s output by volume tilts towards Robusta, at 70% of the estimated coffee output in 2016-17, according to Coffee Board data. Although output fell that year, prices of Robusta had risen sharply. The Robusta benchmark of the International Coffee Organization on 15 June was up by 24% over a year ago, but the Brazilian Arabica benchmark was down by 10.6%. Recent months have seen Robusta prices turn flattish-to-lower.

Predictions of a better monsoon in 2017-18 are expected to see India’s coffee output recover after falling by 9.8%, based on post-monsoon estimates. That is good news even if prices stay flat but not if prices decline as that can affect margins. However, lower prices should benefit instant coffee makers such as Hindustan Unilever Ltd and Nestlé India Ltd, as also the instant coffee operations of companies such as Tata Coffee Ltd, which also runs coffee plantations.

The one imponderable here is that the goods and services tax on instant coffee has been set at 28% compared to 5% on other coffee (such as roast and ground). This can be a dampener for the instant coffee business and one will have to see if companies hike prices post-1 July. That can potentially upset demand.

source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Money / by Ravi Ananthanarayanan / Tuesday – June 20th, 2017

Rohan Bopanna signs partnership with balanced energy drink Enerzal

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports
Sports marketing agency Meraki Sport and Entertainment manages Bopanna's commercial endorsements and is also Enerzal's sports marketing agency
Sports marketing agency Meraki Sport and Entertainment manages Bopanna’s commercial endorsements and is also Enerzal’s sports marketing agency

Mumbai :

Following up on his maiden Grand Slam success at the French Open last month, Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna has partnered with FDC India’s balanced energy drink brand Enerzal.

Enerzal has also partnered with Bopanna’s Bengaluru based tennis academy.

“Tennis is a sport that we as a brand are invested in and believe that India has tremendous potential to excel at globally. Teaming up with Rohan and his academy allows us to truly be a part of the tennis ecosystem, from the grassroots all the way to the top. We also believe that this partnership complements our existing investments in the sport,” said Ameya Chandavarkar, director, FDC India.

Bopanna added, “For any professional athlete, diet and nutrition is of the utmost importance. To ensure that we are at the peak of our performance during matches we need to be optimally hydrated. Having a brand like Enerzal supporting and working with me to get it right is something that I have wanted for some time. I am also happy that the brand has partnered with my academy. It is fantastic to partner with a brand whose objective is the development of tennis in India.”

Sports marketing agency Meraki Sport and Entertainment manages Bopanna’s commercial endorsements and is also Enerzal’s sports marketing agency.

“Over the last two years we have worked with Enerzal to structure partnerships across a range of different sports. Staying true to the brand’s objective of enhancing India’s sporting ecosystem we have partnered with initiatives, events and teams that do just that. From grassroot tournaments like the Subroto Cup to sponsoring India’s Davis Cup match against New Zealand in Pune, the brand is committed to supporting all levels of the sporting ecosystem.” said Namrata Parekh, Co-Founder & Director – Meraki Sport & Entertainment.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / ET Home> Industry> Services> Advertising / by Gaurav Laghate, ET Bureau / July 12th, 2017

8 new additions to Mysuru zoo

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

As many as four new animals have been added to the zoo which has also witnessed eight animal births.

The animals will be available for public viewing after they finish the quarantine period. (Representational Image)
The animals will be available for public viewing after they finish the quarantine period. (Representational Image)

Mysuru:

Mysuru Zoo, celebrating its 125th anniversary, has new additions to its animal fraternity. As many as four new animals have been added to the zoo which has also witnessed eight animal births.

Zoo executive director Kamala said they have received two Lion tailed Macaques, Rama and Anitha, from Arignar Anna Zoological Park Chennai. The animals will be available for public viewing after they finish the quarantine period.

The quarantine period of a female and a male leopard, which the zoo got from Virajpet and Kushalnagar forests, on April 22 and May 14 respectively, has ended and they are now on display at the zoo.

Ms Kamala added that Mysuru Zoo has seen the birth of a Tufted Capuchin Monkey baby which is being nursed at the baby incubator in the zoo hospital. Also, two swamp deer fawns and three Gaur fawns were born at the zoo enclosure and two dusky lorry chicks have hatched in the zoo aviary.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Pets and Environoment / by Shilpa P , Deccan Chronicle / June 20th, 2017

Rakshit and Rashmika put a ring on it

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

The tiny town of Virajpet has probably never witnessed this kind of excitement before.

RashmikaKF19jul2017

On Monday evening, it played host to a mega celebrity event — the engagement of Sandalwood’s most-talked about pair, Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna.

A year after they met on the set of Kirik Party, the duo exchanged rings in the presence of their families and friends. What was said to be a ‘family and close friends’ affair, finally had over 1,700 guests.

Enthusiasm reigned high in both the Shetty and Mandanna families, as both sides began the morning of D-day on an auspicious note — visiting the Ganapathi temple in Virajpet to write the lagna patrike.

“Since we wanted the couple to begin their new life with divine blessings, Rashmika and Rakshit visited all the temples in our town, including the iconic Devi temple that is in the nieighbourhood,” says Rashmika’s mother, Suman.

The evening was an invitees-only do, with bouncers closely guarding the venue. That, though, didn’t hamper the spirit of bonhomie that abounded inside the mammoth hall where the engagement took place.

Done up in shades of white and blue with reams of satin flowers cascading down the walls, Rakshit and Rashmika exchanged rings, popped open a champagne bottle and even cut a pretty layered cake.

The otherwise shy Rakshit surprised everyone when he gave his lady love a heart-warming hug as he declared, “this is one of the happiest days of my life… I love you.” Overwhelmed by the gesture, Rashmika nodded in agreement.

As onlookers showered the couple with wishes and requests for selfies, the party moved on to the dance floor for some Coorg style music, wining and dining.

“Often, while shooting for Kirik Party, without Rakshit knowing, I’ve wished for a man like him in my life. God has been kind… Rakshit is mine now. I can’t thank my parents enough for giving me one of the most memorable days of my life,” sums up Rashmika.

A musical love story: Rakshit’s parents arranged for a special box to hold Rashmika’s engagement ring. “It opened out to play the video of our hit song, Belageddu,” says Rakshit.

Yogaraj Bhat’s quick cameo: Bhatru, with whom Rakshit shares a warm relationship, came all the way to Virajpet to spend an hour with the couple. “He couldn’t make it to the engagement, so he came to bless us in the morning and left to Bengaluru immediately,” says Rakshit.

Celeb call: Other celebrities at the event were Vijay Raghavendra, Sundar Raj, Pramila Joshai, Meghana Raj, Vasishta N Simha, Tara, Venu, SV Babu, Akul Balaji, Meghana Gaonkar, Anish Tejeshwar, Samyukta Hegde, Pushkar Mallikarjunaiah, Saad Khan, Danish Sait and Rishab Shetty.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies> News / TNN / July 05th, 2017

Businessman’s dream home for wife to be up in 24 hrs

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Highlights

Tyag Uthappa from Kodagu is planning to gift a 3-bedroom house covering 2,400sqft, built in 24 hours flat

A Bengaluru-based company is out to prove a point, and also set a world record with this dream home

The Limca Book of World Records has acknowledged this claim and will send a team to document the execution
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DreamHouseKF19jul2017

Bengaluru :

A three-bedroom house covering 2,400sqft, built in 24 hours flat. At Rs 48 lakh, plus tax. That’s some fast and furious work, and cheap too.

A Bengaluru-based company, specializing in rapid construction and building innovation technology , is out to prove a point, and also set a world record with its dream home for a city businessman.Tyag Uthappa, coffee planter and businessman from Kodagu, is planning to gift the marvel to his wife on her birthday .

Using the precast method of construction, the project is tentatively scheduled for July 15 at T Agrahara, close to Stonehill International School in North Bengaluru. The Limca Book of World Records has acknowledged this claim and will send a team to document the execution.

The construction will cost Uthappa about Rs 48 lakh, plus tax, compared to Rs 70-80 lakh for a normal construction of this size.

“The delay in the project handover, quality of construction and exorbitant prices are making people think twice before investing in real estate projects. Precast technology could be the answer. It reduces construction timelines and improves sustainability and quality . Most important, precast buildings can last a lifetime,” said Paddy Menon, chief disruptor, REBEL Disruptive Building Technologies, who’s taken the lead in attempting a record.

According to the 2015 Survey of Construction from the Census Bureau, the average completion time of a singlefamily home is around seven months. “The amount of time it takes to build your home depends on the type of home you’re building and various other factors, like labour, raw material supply and weather.But this is amazing, considering that these factors become irrelevant. The new technology can give a fillip to affordable housing and the Modi government’s ambitious project to provide houses to all by 2022,” said a builder.

How is the construction done in such quick time?
Menon explained: “We use moulds using precast to create structural elements which are standardized.” A house could have 15 to 25 large elements. These are transported to the site, using trailers. We use standard strip foundations we normally see at construction sites, and with the help of cranes we assemble these walls (elements) and construct the whole house. We ensure that the elements are assembled with great care and precision, with appropriate joints.This technology helps us skip a lot of procedures which we follow in the conventional method of construction, and makes work easier and faster,” Menon explained.

Construction trend: In 2016, a 10 storey structure was built in 48 hours in Mohali, using precast technology , and entered the Limca Book of Records.

A builder said there have been instances of houses being built in 48 hours, a week or month, but this is the first time someone is attempting to set a record by building a 2,400 sqft house, which could change the way the construction industry is going about its work.

Saves time, improves quality: Paddy Menon, chief disruptor, REBEL Disruptive Building Technologies, said precast technology has proved its worth by saving a lot of construction time in Europe and West Asian countries. The best part of the technology is that it not only speeds up construction work but also enhances quality of the final output.

This technology is still nascent in India, though a few large projects are happening in a few metros, and need a lot more awareness among common people.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by Manu Aiyappa Kanathanda / July 03rd, 2017