Around 4,800 players will participate in Kodava community’s event

The Kodava community’s craze for hockey is as legendary as their participation in the Indian army.

This love for the sport is celebrated by the people of Kodagu with an annual hockey festival, where family teams from the community get together to test each other’s dribbling skills.

This year’s festival will have a special resonance as the organisers are making a bid to enter the Guinness World Records for the most number of participants at a hockey event.

The festival which started in 1996 with 60 teams will see the participation of 306 hockey family teams this year.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Ramesh, the organizer of the festival, said, “This year, we have more than 300 teams, which means that 4800 players will be articipating. Theirs is a Guinness Record for 4000 players taking part in a tournament. This event will break that record.”

Ramesh also said that they have already entered the Limca Book of Records in 2004 for participation of more than 281 teams in the festival.

Speaking about the significance of the event, Ramesh said that it has become a cultural festival for the Kodavas.

“We never call it a hockey tournament, but we call it a hockey festival. It is the 21st year of the celebrations and it has become a cultural milestone for the Kodavas,” he said.

About the festival

* The hockey festival in Kodagu was started by Pandanda Kuttappa and Kashi Brothers at Karada in 1996.

* Kuttappa and Kashi Brothers also founded the Kodava Hockey Academy in 1997 and continuing to be the founder president for the academy till now.

* The festival follows the international rules for hockey.

* It also encourages the participation of women and senior members in the hockey team.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> States / by Bangalore Mirror Bureau / May 12th, 2017