Joshna bags record-equalling 16th national title, Mahesh wins maiden crown

December 17, 2018Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sportsadmin

Noida :

Squash star Joshna Chinappa equalled Bhuvneshwari Kumari’s record of 16 national titles while Mahesh Mangaonkar won his maiden crown on the concluding day of the premier domestic event at the HCL campus here on Sunday.

In the two contrasting finals, Mahesh pipped Vikram Malhotra 11-4, 13-15, 11-2, 5-11, 15-13 while Joshna edged out Urwashi Joshi 9-11, 11-1, 11-6, 11-5.

In comparison to the gruelling battle in the men’s final, Joshna had it easier though Urwashi Joshi of Maharashtra did surprise her by taking the first game.

As it turned out, the dent Joshna suffered was more of an aberration. The reigning champion ensured the ride was smooth from there on en route a record equalling crown.

The 32-year-old said it was always special to come back to the Nationals, where she won her maiden title as a 14-year-old. Overall, Joshna has played in a staggering 18 finals, losing just two of them.

“There is a funny story behind this. When I was 12, my father told me that ‘you have to win your first national title before you turn 16’ and I did it at 14. The plan at that point was to win as many Nationals as I could. For me, playing the Nationals is more about reliving the child in me every since I played my first as a 12 year old,” Joshna told .

Her achievements on the international stage easily eclipse Kumari’s feats and now Joshna wants to break her national record.

“Yes I do want to have the maximum number of titles, I am not going to lie abut that. It is nice to equal her record. To be here after 20 years in the sport, is a testament to the work I have done,” said the world number 15.

Joshna has dominated the National Championships over the last two decades but has also had some tough battles with Mekhala Subedar and longtime teammate Dipika Pallikal, who is not a regular at the domestic event.

“My biggest battles have been with Mekhala and Dipika. Everyone loves watching Dipika and me play. Shame she is not here,” added Joshna, who initially struggled to sight the ball in sunlight during the final played on a glass court.

In the men’s final, Mahesh outwitted Vikram Malhotra in a five game tussle of fluctuating fortunes.

Vikram had three match points to settle the argument but failed to grab them. A final can always be tense and Mahesh and Vikram displayed that no less. A year ago in a PSA event, the only occasion when the two had met on the professional circuit, Vikram had edged Mahesh, again over five games.

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source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> The News Scroll December 16th, 2018

‘Tour of Nilgiris’ reaches Kodagu

December 13, 2018Sportsadmin

Cyclists who are participating in the ‘Tour of Nilgiris’ pass through Kodagu on Monday.

The ‘Tour of Nilgiris’ by Ride a Cycle Foundation reached Kodagu on Monday evening and left for Kerala.

The cycle rally that will pass through the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu was flagged off on December 16. The rally comprises 110 cyclists including 18 women and 29 foreign nationals.

Speaking to reporters, ‘Tour of Nilgiris’ director Sathish Belavadi said that for the first time, cyclists passed on the Sakleshpur-Somwarpet-Kushalnagar route. It was a challenge to find a new route amid coffee estates and hilly ranges, he added.

Assistant director Badrinath V Shastri said, “Tour of Nilgiris will provide a platform for the cyclists to showcase their capacity. As many as 20 cyclists from Bengaluru, 10 from Pune, 6 from Indore, three each from Chennai and Hyderabad, two from Goa, one each from Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Delhi, Vellore and Chandigarh are taking part, explained Shastri.

The ‘Tour of Nilgiris’ will be creating awareness on Retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer among the children, and raise funds to support them.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Naina J A / DH News Service, Madikeri / December 11th, 2018

Barefoot Marathon’s 4th Edition Held At Pollibetta

December 12, 2018Sportsadmin

The Coorg Wellness Foundation, in association with Milind Soman, successfully conducted the World’s First Barefoot Marathon’s 4th Edition at Pollibetta Tata Sports Ground on Dec.2.

Cash price was awarded to only localities who live in Kodagu full time, and those who participated from outside/ non-residents of Kodagu, where given Kodagu produce like local rice, sponsored by Chendanda Aiyappa, local pepper sponsored by Cheppudira Brig Ponappa and coffee sponsored by Adengada Bharat.

It was a fund-raiser event and the proceeds will be utilised for long-term rehabilitation of the recent landslide victims.

Like every year, this year too it was a ZERO plastic event. Even stalls kept by associates of The Coorg Wellness Foundation like Project Coorg, Cheshire Home and Coorg Wildlife Society ensured no plastic was given to buyers of their products.

Schools that participated in the run were Cheshire Home, DMP, Sai Shankar School and COPS.

Local Winners

42-kms (male): Jeethan – 1st place with Rs.42,000; M. Ganapathy – 2nd place with Rs.25,000.

21-kms (female): Kavery – 1st with Rs.21,000.

21-kms (male): Vishwa – 1st with Rs.21,000; S. Mani – 2nd with Rs.15,000; Dhiren Machaiah – 3rd with Rs.10,000.

10-kms (female): Shyla Kottangada – 1st with Rs.10,000; Nisha – 2nd with Rs.5,000; Chaitra – 3rd with Rs.2,500.

10-kms (male): Madhu – 1st with Rs.10,000; Bojanna – 2nd with Rs.5,000; Bopanna – 3rd with Rs.2,500.

The attractive price money was keeping in mind the devastation Kodagu went through, the intention was to encourage more locals of Kodagu to benefit from this.

The next year date for The Barefoot Marathon Coorg Re-Connect, would be Dec.1, 2019, according to a press release from Cheppudira Nikki, Founder, The Coorg Wellness Foundation.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / December 05th, 2018

Short film ‘Nentathi Goode’ released

December 11, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, Alladmin

Karnataka Arebhashe Samskrithi Mathu Sahitya Academy president P C Jayaram releases the short film ‘Nentathi Goode’.

All of us should develop self-respect for the mother tongue, said Karnataka Arebhashe Samskrithi Mathu Sahitya Academy president P C Jayaram.

Speaking after releasing an Arebhashe short film ‘Nentathi Goode’, he said, “All languages have there own distinct feature and culture. The younger generation should conserve the language for the future generation.”

He lauded the team of youths for coming out with a short film highlighting the culture and farming system of the Arebhashe speaking community members.

Madikeri Gowda Samaja president Periyana Jayanand said, “The short film, ‘Nentathi Goode’, is a new attempt and it has highlighted the culture and tradition of the Gowda community members in Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada district. There has been a decline in movies in Arebhashe language.”

Short film director Vishnu Kalanjana said, “35 artistes from the Gowda community have acted in the short film. It was shot in and around Kodagu. The short film also makes an attempt to showcase the richness of Ainmane (ancestral homes) in Kodagu district”.

Kadya Jagrithi is in the lead role in the short film. The screenplay is written by Torera Sachin while the cinematography is by Diwakar.

CMC President Kaveramma Somanna also spoke on the occasion.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States> Mangaluru / by Naina J A / DH News Service, Madikeri / December 09th, 2018

Cultural canvas at airport

December 10, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Local art and culture and that of Kodagu find place in airport interiors

The luxurious interiors of the terminal building of the Kannur International airport could not have asked for better arts works to adorn its walls than the elegant paintings and murals featuring the local art and culture of north Malabar. The paintings also depicted the cultural legacy of neighbouring parts of Karnataka.

The paintings and murals on display at the terminal building represent the cultural legacy of north Malabar, especially Theyyam forms and feats of Kalaripayattu as also paintings depicting life and culture of the State.

Among the latest additions to the art works that adorn the walls of the airport terminal, to give a visual experience to passengers and provide a vista of the land’s culture and history, are two works that illustrate the heritage of neighbouring parts of Karnataka.

One art work represents the culture of Kodagu in Karnataka. Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu, is around 90 km away. The metal art work on Kodagu was prepared by artists of the Charu Art Gallery, an art consultancy based in Mysuru.

In the picture, a woman clad in traditional Kodagu attire holds a cup of coffee while a man, also clad in traditional Kodagu attire, holds a gun and wears a dagger. The background of the picture features coffee beans and the frame also includes birds and elephants.

Airport officials were told by Bheemesh A.N., managing partner of Charu Art Gallery, that the coffee mug in the hands of the woman, dagger and gun in the hands of the man, and coffee beans in the background symbolise the Kodava culture, while the birds and elephants represent the wildlife of the region. The second art work is a big picture of Yakshagana, the traditional theatre art form of Karnataka. The picture, in a 9-metre high and 6-metre wide frame, is a creation of a team of mural artists led by painter K.R. Babu.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Mohamed Nazeer / Kannur – December 08th, 2018

Kodagu Hockey Coach Part Of World Cup Men’s Hockey Officiating Team

December 9, 2018Sportsadmin

B.S. Ankitha from Madikeri in Kodagu district has functioned as a Level-2 Technical Official for the World Cup Men’s Hockey that was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, between Dec.4 and 6.

The Tournament was conducted at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar by Fédération Internationale de Hockey, commonly known by the acronym FIH, the international governing body of field hockey and indoor field hockey.

Ankitha has the distinction of being the only Level-2 Technical Official to be selected from India and from Karnataka for the FIH World Cup Men’s Hockey.

She has received training as FIH Hockey India Level-2 Technical Official. Her training at Bhubaneswar makes her eligible to be the Technical Officer for International hockey matches in the future. Prior to this, Ankitha has obtained training from SAI Hockey Hostel at Madikeri.

Ankitha has represented Karnataka in the National level for five times (twice in senior level and thrice junior level). In the University-level (Mangalore University), she has won three Gold medals and two Bronze (Annamalai University). She has participated in All India Inter-University Tournaments five times.

Ankitha has completed her Masters in Commerce and has a Diploma in Sports Coaching (National Institute of Sports).

She has PG Diplomas in e-Finance and Gym Instruction. She has done a course in Hockey abroad.

She was the coach for Karnataka State Team Junior Nationals Women’s and Senior Nationals (Girls).

Ankitha is currently working as a hockey coach at the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Shivamogga. Ankitha is the daughter of B.A. Suresh and B.S. Dharmavathi, residents of Madikeri.

She remembers her coaches Srinivas, Karumbaiah, Shankar Tholmatti, Suresh Adina, Vivek Chaturvedi and SAI coach N. Muthu Kumar whom she considers as a role model.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / December 08th, 2018

Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan, India’s Asiad gold-winning pair, to partner on ATP Tour from 2019

December 9, 2018Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, World Opinionadmin

The all-Indian doubles pair will start their season at home in the Maharashtra Open.

India’s 2018 Asian Games gold medal winning pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan has decided to form a permanent partnership and will play together on the ATP Tour from the 2019 season.

Bopanna and Sharan – ranked 37 and 39 in the ATP year-end doubles ranking respectively – will start their season at the Maharashtra Open in Pune and will play one more tournament before taking part in the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.

“We have played with each other before and we gel well. Plus we have similar rankings so we can enter the bigger tournaments together,” Sharan told Scroll.in. “Both of us are from India and it is always nice to play with someone from your country,” he added.

The idea to pair came up organically and was something both of them were keen on, especially after their title-winning run in Indonesia in August this year. “We have been in touch and were thinking about this, especially after the Asian Games. I enjoy playing with Rohan and we form a good pair,” he said.

But the partnership can also go on to be a lot more meaningful for Indian tennis with an eye on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. An all-Indian doubles pair with the experience of playing together on the circuit will be a welcome addition the squad.

On his part, Sharan did say that playing together now will give them the opportunity to play more tournaments together for India in the future. The duo displayed good chemistry when they played together in Indonesia and more tournaments together will give them a chance to get better. Much like the pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the early part of this millennium.

After the Maharashtra Open, the pair plans to play in either Sydney or Auckland depending on the entry list and then the Australian Open. There is a strong possibility that they will team up in the Davis Cup as well, when India take on Italy in February in the qualifiers for the Finals.

The 32-year-old Sharan is a late bloomer and has had a great season in 2018, reaching a career-best 36 and was briefly the highest-ranked Indian in doubles ahead of Bopanna as well. Sharan had a host of partners in the last year, after ending his long-standing partnership with fellow Indian Purav Raja. Last year at the Maharashtra Open, Sharan had played with Yuki Bhambri while 2016 Chennai Open champions Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan had played together.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Field> Indian Tennis / by Zenia D’Cruz / December 07th, 2018

Kumaraswamy gives start to housing project for flood-hit families in Kodagu

December 9, 2018Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and others at the laying of the foundation stone for the houses for flood-affected families, at Jamboor village, near Madapura, in Kodagu district on Friday.

Kodagu Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Development Authority to lead rebuilding efforts

Acknowledging the courage displayed by the people of Kodagu during the floods and landslips a few months ago, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy offered all help from the government to those displaced and affected by the unprecedented calamity.

The CM made an announcement on the setting up of the Kodagu Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Development Authority, of which he is chairman. It will carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation work and restoring the flood-ravaged district.

Mr. Kumaraswamy was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the construction of houses on a 50-acre plot at Jamboor village near Madapura in the district on Friday. Each house will be built at a cost of ₹9.80 lakh.

Reiterating the State government’s promise of fulfilling all demands of affected families, the CM said the government was determined and committed to ensure a respectable life to the displaced families and urged them not to panic about their future.

Never in the past has the government come forward to build a 2BHK home for displaced families in the State, Mr. Kumaraswamy said, and added that the donations to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund would be used for the construction.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said there was no dearth of funds with the government for offering succour to the affected. The lost charm of the district following the floods and landslips would be restored, he added. He said the government is putting all its strength towards rebuilding Kodagu and the constitution of the authority is a major step in this direction. “The Centre has not released any special aid to flood-ravaged Kodagu,” he alleged.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha took exception to the DyCM’s comment in his speech and argued that the Centre has also responded positively to the flood-hit district.

Objecting to Mr Parameshwar’s remark that the Centre should have announced a special package for Kodagu like it did for Kerala, Mr. Simha said the Centre did not announce any package to Kerala but released funds under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Also, the highways in Kodagu were being repaired and reconstructed from the Central grant, he maintained.

The MP displayed a letter on the Centre’s aid to the State which was also acknowledged by the Chief Minister.

In his address, Minister for Housing and Urban Development U.T. Khader said compensation for coffee and black pepper growers would be announced soon. The construction of houses for the families would start from Saturday at Jamboor, Somawarpet and Madikeri. Around 55 houses would be built in one month in the respective colonies.

Minister in-charge of Kodagu district S.R. Mahesh spoke about the efforts made by the government after the disaster struck the district and the immediate succour provided to the affected families.

MLA Appachu Ranjan, Deputy Commissioner P.I. Sreevidya and others were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – December 08th, 2018

Cleanliness jatha in Madikeri

December 6, 2018Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Featuresadmin

Green City Forum Convener Kukkera Jaya Chinnappa called upon the residents to keep their surroundings clean.

Speaking at a cleanliness jatha organised by Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Kodagu Vidyalaya here at Madikeri on Wednesday, he said the Central government has been focusing on cleanliness and sanitation.

There is a need to ensure that all the households have toilet facilities. The residents should keep their surroundings clean, he added.

The students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavana Kodagu Vidyalaya and General K S Thimayya Public School participated in the jatha.

The jatha was carried out from Gandhi Maidan and passed through Raja Seat Road to KSRTC bus stand. Handbills were distributed among the public.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States> Districts / by Naina J A / DH News Service,Madikeri / December 05th, 2018

Hockey World Cup Memories: AB Subbaiah remembers 1994 edition, where India’s chances were undone by South Africa

December 5, 2018Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Playing as a goalkeeper for the Indian team, AB Subbaiah was part of the 1998 Asian Games gold medal winning side. He has been feted with the Arjuna Award. He spoke to Amit Kamath.

I was India’s goalkeeper in the 1994 World Cup, which was held in Sydney. What a memorable tournament it was!

We had a great team consisting of players like Dhanraj Pillay, Mukesh Kumar and Mohammed Riaz.

Our preparation for the World Cup was also excellent. The 1994 World Cup was one of the first coaching assignments of Cedric D’Souza and he had prepared the team really well. I remember that a lot of players came from either Mumbai or Karnataka at that time.

While most of our other coaches used to train us by working on our strengths, Cedric was the one who made us prepare by focusing on our rivals’ strengths and tactics. Cedric had a technical style of coaching which involved studying other teams. It was a modern style of training which helped us prepare for each and every situation.

We played some great hockey against the best teams in the world. That tournament saw us register wins over South Korea and Belgium in the group stage. We also had close matches against Germany and the Netherlands.

It was a great team and we had done very well but one unfortunate thing was the 2-2 draw against South Africa in the league stage. That proved to be the difference between us and Germany in qualifying for the semi-finals. At that time, just two teams from the group were to qualify for the semis.

I remember that after our last group match, we had to wait for the match between the Netherlands and Germany to end to see if we could qualify. They played out a draw, which led some of us to feel like they had an understanding.

But there were a few things which proved to be our undoing in that tournament. Against the good teams in our group we performed really well, but against an under-rated team like South Africa, we were a little slack in our approach. That was probably because we were focusing on the bigger teams in the tournament. When you play at an event as big as the World Cup, you have to prepare equally for each opponent however big or small it is.

What also hurt us was a misplaced pass by Shakeel Ahmed when we were up 1-0 against Germany. The Germans capitalised on the error, stormed into out D and equalised!

Another memory that sticks out from that tournament is the goal the Netherlands’ Taco van den Honert scored against me in our group match. At that time, players would whack or slap-hit the ball towards goal in penalty corners. But when the Netherlands played us, Taco drag-flicked the ball into the top right corner. It surprised all of us! It was the onset of the era of drag-flicks.

What also went against us was that one of our most prominent forwards, Sabu Varkey, was not available during the tournament. If he had played, he would have been a livewire at the front and the results would have been different.

Eventually, we could not qualify for the semis and had to play Argentina in the playoffs for the 5th to 8th position spots. We won that match in an exhilarating tiebreaker. We beat them comprehensively! At that time, finishing 5th and 6th was commendable because it also meant that the team would qualify for the Champions Trophy. So, on one hand, we were happy, but on the other hand, we felt that since a lot of young players had come from the junior team, so we could have done really well in this tournament.

And then we beat England for the fifth-sixth position match which made it a memorable tournament for us. Finishing fifth at that tournament was not that bad because it was just one step away from the semi-finals. We were unfortunate to miss the chance in that way. But what was more unfortunate was that at the Atlanta Olympics two years later, we again missed the semi-final cut narrowly like that.

That was what teams need to realise! We were good enough to make it to the semis at the 1994 World Cup. But it was just because of one underrated team beating us in one match that we missed out.

For the full Hockey World Cup 2018 schedule, click here

source: http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost. / Home> Latest News> Sports News / by A B Subbaiah / December 02nd, 2018

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