Every year, Kodava players from over 200 families come together to play in their own hockey tournament

Vikalp Bengaluru, a forum of documentary filmmakers who regularly screen documentaries from the world over, present Doc@Everest, the Thursday documentary screening at Frazer Town’s famed Everest Talkies.

On July 9, they will screen Hockey in my Blood, a film about hockey in Coorg, told through the story of the Kodava Hockey Festival, the world’s largest hockey tournament played between the families of Coorg in the coffee hills of South India. The 52 minute film is in English and Kodava takk, with English subtitles.

Kodavas, the people of Coorg are a martial-tribal community known for strong ties to land and family. Every year, Kodava players from over 200 families come together to play in their own hockey tournament – The Kodava Hockey Festival. There is no bar on age or gender. The only rule of forming a team is that all members must be from the same family.

Young boys and girls, fathers, uncles, mothers, professionals and even former Olympic heroes – are all players. With the families playing for bragging rights for the rest of the year, victories are hard fought and competition can get heated. At the end of the month-long event, there is just one winning team but many winners – the sport and the sense of community not least among them.

The film be screened on July 9 at 7 p.m. Entry is free and donations welcome.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Events / July 07th, 2015