Tag Archives: Ashwini Nachappa

“For Kodavas, hockey is a sport that runs in the blood,” – CB Poovanna traces rise from family team ahead of Sultan of Johor Cup

October 25, 2023Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World OpinionArjun Halappa Captain of Indian Hockey Team, Ashwini Nachappa, CB Poovanna, Chandura Boby Poovanna, Hockey Bangalore Team, Hockey Karnataka Team, KALS - Karauumbiahs Academy of Learning and Sports, Kodagu District, Kodagu First, Kodava Hockey Players, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Nithin Thimmaiah, SK Uthappa, Sportspersons from Kodagu, SV Sunil, VR Raghunathadmin

*CB Poovanna has excelled as a midfielder in the junior setup*

CB Poovanna, a debutant in the victorious outfit that created history by winning the 2022 edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup, is now eager to help his team defend the title in Malaysia.

Passionate, eloquent, and analytical with a mature head on young shoulders, the 21-year-old from Kodagu feels blessed to have practised alongside Coorg-based veterans like SV Sunil and Arjun Halappa during his formative years.

Over the course of an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, the young midfielder traces his hockey journey back to the time when he dreamt of making it to the family team in Coorg while also looking back at the Johor Bahru win last year.

“In our Kodava community, hockey is a sport that runs in our blood. Everybody in our community plays hockey. My dad and brother used to play hockey. Having observed them on the pitch, I too wanted to play the game,” Chandura Boby Poovanna stated.

I started holding a hockey stick when I was in third grade. My first dream was to play for the family team. Within the family, there were a lot of hockey players. As a small kid, it isn’t possible for make it to the family team as there a lot of elder players,” he explained.

Being granted admission to track and field athlete Ashwini Nachappa’s KALS (Karaumbiah’s Academy for Learning and Sports) was a game changer for the young hockey aspirant who got to rub shoulders with the best in the business.

“When I was in the fifth grade, I was first allowed to wear the family jersey. I kept playing hockey for the sheer love of the game until there was a selection that happened at KALS,” CB Poovanna stated.

“My mum took me there for the selection. It was a three-day selection process and I was taken into the school on the basis of my performance there. There was a bond according to which I had to play for the school for three years after which I would be sent to SAI (Sports Authority of India),” he revealed.

The rise was evident as CB Poovanna earned a spot in the Hockey Bangalore team after having been selected by SAI but decided to train harder after failing to make the next grade.

An eventual place in the Hockey Karnataka squad led to Poovanna realising his dream after being selected in the team headed to Johor Bahru.

“I started training harder and hit the gym on rest days after failing to progress from a core group of 60 players which was trimmed down to 30. COVID interrupted my progress for a bit before which I played for Hockey Karnataka,” he said while pausing to recall the precise details.

“Four players were finally selected from a group of 30 ahead of the Sultan of Johor Cup last year. I had realised a part of my dream,” CB Poovanna declared.

“At SAI, we played against an ex-India XI which boasted names like SV Sunil” – CB Poovanna describes the Coorg pedigree

*SV Sunil (right) alongside fellow striker Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh*

Some of India’s best hockey talent has been nurtured in Coorg which boasts of having produced a host of legendary names. Unsurprisingly, Poovanna describes with an unmistakable sense of pride what it meant for him to have rubbed shoulders with the former India internationals.

“At the SAI campus, we used to play matches against an ex-India XI which boasted of players like SV Sunil and Arjun Halappa. You also had other greats from Coorg like SK Uthappa, VR Raghunath, Nikkin Thimmaiah, and Nithin Thimmaiah,” he stated reeling off the names effortlessly.

“I consider myself lucky to have played over three years of hockey with them. Aside from playing matches alongside them, we also used to ask them a lot of game-based questions about tactics,” Poovanna said.

The Karnataka player also recalled fellow midfielder and “exceptional” Bangalore boy Mohammed Raheel coming over to Coorg while still in school to play a tournament there. Raheel donned India colours under the tutelage of Graham Reid last year.

“I first met Raheel when I was in the sixth or seventh grade. My family had once called Raheel and a few other players to come over to play our family tournament in Coorg,” said CB Poovanna shedding light on the memories.

“Raheel was exceptional back then as well. He had great speed even on a gravel ground. He was an idol for me also because he plays as a midfielder,” the youngster added.

“CR Kumar has been exceptional as a coach” – CB Poovanna

*CB Poovanna was all praise for coach CR Kumar*

Several Indian players in the men’s and women’s camp have been tutored by veteran hockey coach CR Kumar who is now in charge of the junior boys. CB Poovanna was all praise for the committed coach who helped shape his career.

“CR Kumar has been exceptional as a coach. He is committed and totally into the sport,” said Raheel with an air of reverence. “He has shaped me from being who I was to who I am right now.”

Headed to Johor Bahru to defend India’s title at the 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup, CB Poovanna cannot help reminiscing about the glory of his debut international tournament victory.

“The 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup was my first international tournament. It was a really new experience, wearing the India jersey for the first time,” he stated.

A scintillating 5-5 draw against Great Britain witnessed Poovanna scoring a 7th-minute equalizer after the opposition had taken the lead in the opening minute of play.

“It felt as if the hard work really paid off for us” – CB Poovanna turns the clock back in the big final against Australia

Six goals were scored in a frantic final quarter with the Indian boys finding the back of the net four times before taking on Australia in the big final.

“The match against Great Britain was pretty intense with one side taking the lead and the other cancelling it out,” recalled Poovanna. “Scoring the equalising goal helped motivate the rest of the team and that is when we all started pepping each other up.”

CB Poovanna opined that Australia’s equalising goal against India wasn’t legitimate but goes on to describe the pulsating shootout during which the Indians achieved victory.

“The pressure and intensity of the final is different. We scored the opening goal and Australia equalised but the goal wasn’t legitimate. There was actually a foul which happened in their circle which led to a goal in our circle. At the junior level, we do not have video referrals and hence were unable to challenge the goal,” he said.

“Both teams pressured each other for the ball and finally it led to the shootout which was going one way and then the next. Finally Mohit Shashikumar (the goalkeeper) made a great save after which we scored and won the tournament. It felt as if the hard work really paid off for us,” CB Poovanna affirmed.

The 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup begins on October 27 with the Indians facing Pakistan in their Pool B opener. Malaysia and New Zealand are also in Pool B while Australia, Great Britain, Germany, and South Africa find themselves in Pool A.

Will defending the title add to the pressure for captain Uttam Singh and co.?

“Not in the least,” shoots back CB Poovanna unhesitatingly. “The pressure will be on the opposition, for us being defending champions is a big motivation.

The final of the tournament is scheduled to be played on November 4 at Johor Bahru.

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / Sports Keeda / Home> Field Hockey / by Subhashish Majumdar / October 23rd, 2023

How Kodavas lost their distinct identity – Part I

February 27, 2023Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Women/Girls (wef. Sept 03rd, 2022)Ashwini Nachappa, CM Poonacha, Field Marshall K M Cariappa, Guru Karanava, Hukumnama 1811, Kaimad, Kodagu District, Kodagu First, Kodava Okka, Kodavas, Lingaraja Wodeyar, MA Kalam, MP Ganesh, Raja of Kodagu, Rashmika Mandannaadmin

Can the upcoming Census 2021 and the Karnataka assembly polls bring the spotlight on the decades-old demand of the Kodavas?

Kodavas participate in cultural competitions organised as part of Kodava Namme at Balugodu near Virajpet in October 2017. Credit: DH File Photo

What is a common thread that runs through the following names: Field Marshal KM Cariappa, former Indian hockey team captain MP Ganesh, former Union minister CM Poonacha, sprinter Ashwini Nachappa, and actor Rashmika Mandanna? More than being celebrities in their chosen field of work and belonging to Karnataka, they all trace their origins back to Kodagu district, about 250 kms west of Bengaluru.

Kodavas are a group of people who have a distinct identity — a distinction that is no longer recognised by the State! For decades now the Kodavas have been demanding they be categorised as a distinct group, and two upcoming events could bring to the spotlight on the Kodavas’ cause: the delayed 2021 Census, and the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Unique Identity

The Kodavas were recognised as a distinct ethnic group, even during and much before the reign of the Lingayat rajas who ruled the Kodagu province since the sixteenth century AD. From 1947 till 1956, Kodagu was included in the list of Part C states along with Ajmere, Bilaspur, Bhopal, Tripura, Manipur, Delhi, Kutch, Himachal Pradesh, and Vindhya Pradesh. In 1956, on the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission, Kodagu merged with the then Mysore (now Karnataka) state as a separate district.

We do not have evidence as regards the Kodavas’ antecedents, and it is widely believed that they were migrants to the region during the third or fourth century AD. Little is known as to where they migrated from, and what made them settle down in the place they have done so. Going by their physiognomy, and compared with the other communities that inhabit the Kodagu district, the Kodavas are quite distinct and different in many ways.

Language, Religion, Customs

The language they speak, Kodava takk, is undoubtedly a Dravidian language in terms of its grammar and syntax, and is replete with words from the other Dravidian languages, besides words from Urdu, and Farsi.

Their religious practices, traditions, and customary laws too vary a great deal vis-à-vis the other religious groups and castes that are the Kodavas’ co-habitants. The Kodavas’ primary, and almost solitary, religious pursuit has been ancestor propitiation. Every Kodava okka (lineage) traces its descent from its Guru Karanava (common male ancestor) for whom they have a kaimada (shrine) in the vicinity of their ain mane (ancestral house).

The Kodavas do not have temples, nor do they solicit the services of any priests, Brahmin or otherwise, in any of their religious practices or rituals. Their marriages, births, naming ceremonies, deaths, etc, is officiated and performed by one of their own elders, and there is no place in these ceremonies for any Hindu rituals or recitations in Sanskrit or any other language.

In effect, they have no link whatsoever with the practices of the chathur varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra) nor do they have any caste affiliation or internal caste divisions among them, but for a miniscule subgroup known as Amma Kodavas who are, ideally, considered to be vegetarians and teetotallers.

Martial Tradition

The Kodavas have had a martial tradition and have been part of the armies of the Lingayat rajas and later of the British. From the time of the rajas, the Kodavas, along with some other communities, have been the beneficiaries of the lesser taxed jamma land tenure, which mandated that they offer their services to the palace for a few days every month. Details as regards these as also many other matters concerning living conditions and life in general vis-a-vis the rulers were notified as 53 decrees/orders by the penultimate raja of Kodagu, Lingarajendra Wodeyar, in the Hukumnama published in 1811. Jamma landholding conferred the right to possess firearms without licence. This practice is prevalent even today.

The 1941 Census came and went, with most of the Kodavas not realising that they had lost, unreasonably, their unique identity. More about that in Part II.

(MA Kalam, a social anthropologist, is Visiting Professor, Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad. The author has been researching in Kodagu since the early 1970s.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Opinion / by MA Kalam / February 23rd, 2023

Mindset needs to change in governance of sports: Ashwani Nachappa

February 27, 2023Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, Women/Girls (wef. Sept 03rd, 2022)Ashwani Nachappa, Ashwini Nachappa, Ashwini Nachappa - Olympian, Ashwini Nachappa - Sprinter, Athletes of Kodagu, Kodagu First, Kodava Athlete, Kodavathiadmin

Mumbai (IANS) :

The issues and problems affecting women in sports in the country came up for discussion with Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat focussing on sexual harassment faced by women sportspersons and badminton star Jwala Gutta pointing at the lack of a proper attitude towards female athletes.

Former sprinter and Olympian Ashwini Nachappa pointed at the need for change in the mindset of administrators and in the governance of sports.

All these issues were raised during the ‘Fight like a Woman – Guts, Grit and Glory’ session during the second edition of ABP’s ‘Ideas of India’ summit here.

Speaking on the occasion, Arjuna Awardee and Commonwealth gold winner, Vineesh Phogat opened up about her own struggles of sexual misconduct that goes unnoticed in the field of sports.

“Every day was an internal battle to not let powerful people break you with their antics and torture,” she said.

After playing at a senior position for several years, she added “I felt in a secure position to be able to speak about the issues so girls at the start of their career don’t face what I had to go through.”

Vinesh believed that “A clean-up of society is essential for women to flourish in sports and speak about sexual misconduct.”

Jwala Gutta, also spoke about her struggles in the #MeToo movement. �

“I was threatened where ultimately I had to knock on the doors of the High Court,” she said.

“Sports in our country is considered as a good hobby or habit for girls until you win a medal, and then suddenly you become ‘Bharat ki Beti’,” added Jwala, Arjuna Awardee and Commonwealth Games gold medal winner.

The panel was further enlightened by Nachappa, former international athlete and Arjuna Awardee, who spoke about the evolution in sports over the past few decades.

“I think the process of a complete overhaul of the sports federation has begun as we see a lot more women across the sports board,” she said.

In 2010, she started the ‘Clean Sports India Movement’ with 8-9 other sportspersons to speak about the issues in the federation.

The Indian hockey player, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and the Pro Squash player and Arjuna Awardee and Commonwealth gold Winner, Joshna Chinappa also highlighted the positive change they witnessed.

“We have come a long way from when we started out,” they said.

Further commenting on the changes required in the sports administration in India, Nachappa said, “Its important that more professionals come into the management of sports, under an umbrella that is autonomous, which actually manages and holds federations accountable.”

Adding to this, Vinesh said, “If a sportsperson or professional leads the federation, it can create a positive impact on the industry as they understand the needs of an athlete and can even support them emotionally.”

A need for better coaches and support staff in the industry was also highlighted by the panel. “We need a good programme for coaches to overcome the lack of the same, only then we will be able make good athletes.”

The summit had an invigorating line-up of speakers with prominent figures from the world of business, politics, artists from the Hindi film industry, authors and other eminent sectors. The two-day event primarily addressed India’s stand as a burgeoning economy and global leader in shaping the future.

source: http://www.morungexpress.com / The Morung Express / Home> Sports / by IANS / February 25th, 2023