Kodagu, known as the land of warriors with every family having one member in the defence forces, is also known for hockey. The much sought after sports in the country after cricket, has witnessed many talents from the land.

Chikkanda Bhagyasri daughter of Chikkanda Prabhu Madappa and Renuka Madappa from Andagove village in Kodagu district is one such talent.

Bhagyasri is currently the manager of Karnataka hockey squad taking part in the ongoing seventh Indian sub-junior hockey championship at Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.

Bhagyasri, who had her nascent education at St Mary’s English Medium School at Suntikoppa, was selected to Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Madikeri at the age of 12.

She later completed her PU education from government college at Madikeri and degree at Field Marshal Cariappa College.

She honed her skills in hockey under the tutelage of coach Vivek Chaturvedi. She was selected to state squad and since then, there has been no looking back for her.

She has to her credit playing national sub-junior tournament at Chhatisgarh and National Games at New Delhi in 2011, National Women’s Championship at Hyderabad, second National Junior Hockey Meet at Haryana in 2012, 58th National Hockey Championship at Punjab and third Junior Hockey Meet at Ranchi in 2013, fourth National Junior Hockey meet in Mysuru in 2014, National Games at Uttar Pradesh and Kerala in 2015, sixth National Meet held at Bengaluru and the ties at Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and also in Mangaluru, organised by Association of Indian Universities in 2016, totalling 11 national meets to her credit, among others.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by DHNS – Kushalnagar, February 10th, 2017