A file photo of Brijesh Kalappa outside the Supreme Court in New Delhi | Photo Credit: V. Sudershan
Supreme Court advocate Brijesh Kalappa had joined the Congress in 1997. His mentor former Union minister Kapil Sibal quit the Congress recently and is contesting the Rajya Sabha elections with the support of the Samajwadi Party
In a setback to the Congress in Karnataka ahead of its two-day Chitan Shivir that starts on June 2, Supreme Court advocate Brijesh Kalappa resigned from the primary membership of the party.
Mr Kalappa had joined the Congress in 1997. He quit the party saying he has been ‘lacking in passion’ in the recent past. His mentor former Union minister Kapil Sibal quit the Congress recently and is contesting the Rajya Sabha elections with the support of the Samajwadi Party.
In his letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Kalappa said: “I have been representing the party in Hindi, English and Kannada TV channels (since the UPA years in 2013) for almost a decade, and have clocked 6,497 debates. Besides, the party has been regularly assigning political work to me, which I have performed to the best of my satisfaction. Regarding TV debates, I have done my very best at all times and have never ever appeared without adequate preparation for any debate. Even at the worst of times for the party in the aftermath of 2014 and 2019 debacles, I have never felt enervated, and lacking in energy and enthusiasm.”
“But, in the recent past, I have been finding myself lacking in passion, while my own performance has been listless and perfunctory.
“It is under these circumstances that I am left with little option but to resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress, and to end an association that began in 1997.”
Mr Kalappa thanked Ms Gandhi for offering several opportunities in the party and in his home State of Karnataka.
Mr Kalappa served as the legal adviser to the Government of Karnataka with rank of Minister when the Congress was in power under the leadership of Siddaramaiah.
Mr. Kalappa’s resignation comes days after Kannada actor and former MLC Mukhyamantri Chandru resigned from the primary membership of the Congress after being denied a nomination to the Legislative Council.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / Bengaluru – June 01st, 2022
MLA Appachu Ranjan and KSIIDC MD M.R. Ravi during the inspection of land for building a heliport, near Kushalnagar on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Seaplane operations can be launched at Harangi, says official
The State Government has proposed to develop an airstrip and a heliport near Kushalnagar for the benefit of tourists visiting Kodagu, one of the major hill stations in South India.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced in his recent budget to develop heliports at three places, including one in Kodagu. In this connection, a team of officials led by Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) Managing Director M.R. Ravi, accompanied by Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan, inspected the land where the facility has been proposed near the Sainik School at Kudige village.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Ravi said 49 acres of government land was available near Kushalnagar and it was identified for developing an airstrip. “Since no land was available for developing the heliport at Madikeri, which was the first choice, we thought of developing the airstrip as well as the heliport on the 49-acre plot near Kushalnagar. We need just 5 acres for the heliport and the rest can be developed as an airstrip which can be used for the landing and takeoff of the 20-seater planes,” Mr. Ravi said.
Seaplane operations
Mr. Ravi said plans are afoot for launching the operations of seaplanes in Kodagu in a bid to boost tourism since the infrastructure for their operations was available at Harangi. “If everything goes as planned, seaplanes can land on and take off from Harangi waters. This can help improve connectivity to tourists who can afford such a trip. This can benefit adventure tourism for which Kodagu is considered one of the key destinations.”
Mr. Ranjan said the officials from the Airport Authority of India had visited Kushalnagar in connection with the proposed launch of airstrip operations. However, it did not materialise though the land for the same was identified.
Kodagu needs air connectivity as over 25,000 tourists descend on the hill station during weekends, registering 100 percent occupancy of hotels, resorts and home stays. The air connectivity can further boost tourism and the heliport is one such plan proposed by the government for which all support will be extended, he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – May 30th, 2022
Hemanth Muddappa won the National Championship in both the top-two classes, with stunning National records to boot, in third and final round of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship.
Hemanth Muddappa
Swashbuckling performance by Hemanth Muddappa, aptly nicknamed ‘LightningR1’, lit up the Madras Race Track once again as he won the National Championship in both the top-two classes, with stunning National records to boot, in third and final round of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2021 which concluded at the MMRT, on Sunday.
Demolishing the competition time and again, the combination of Muddappa and Sharan Pratap, his tuner, produced a magic run that not only got them a record in both the top classes but helped the Kodava star clinch the 2021 Drag National title. The Speed Maestro from Bengaluru, thus won his fifth consecutive National title in the premier Super Sport 1051cc and above class for super bikes and also clinched the National championship in the 851 to 1050cc class with a double gold today. Overall that makes him, a nine-time Indian National Drag champion. He won the premier class in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He also bagged four other titles in lower classes.
On Sunday, the Mantra Racing rider clipped a good one-tenth of a second to clock 7.749 seconds, astride the black Suzuki Hayabusa touching speeds of 239.58 at the 302-metre Madras Motor Sports Club’s iconic circuit. Thus, he broke his own record of 7.913 which he set in Round 2 in October 2021. In the 851cc to 1050cc class, he broke his own record today.
“I am on cloud nine. Behind my performance is a dedicated Mantra Racing who have worked day and night tirelessly. A lot of testing and development based on the collected data is a testimony to the commitment to every member of my team. Clipping two-tenths is a very, very big achievement in drag. I have worked on my fitness very hard and the visualisation I do before the race also helped me a lot. I am thrilled to have won this championship as we were tied and the competition was tough,” said Muddappa, who set a record in every round this year. He broke his own record in the 850cc class in Round 1 and then came up with record runs in the top class in the next two rounds.
“Yes, both are National records today and they are also the best circuit records at MMRT. The Hayabusa is the faster bike and this is an all-time record. It is an absolutely fantastic to do such records. Consistently, he has improved the timings this year and it is admirable,’’ said Pratap Jayaram, the drag Commission chairman of fmsci, who confirmed the records.
Provisional unaudited Results: 4 Stroke Super Sport 1051cc and above: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra racing) 7.749 seconds); 2. Hafizullah Khan (8.031); Harish Naik (8.315).
4-stroke Super Sport 851cc to 1050cc:: 1. Hemanth Muddappa 7.755; 2. Tajamul Husain 7.966; 3. Mohd. Riyaz (8.135);
source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> News> Sports / by Sports Desk / February 27th, 2022
The virtual museum will likely stand completed and be accessible globally by February next year and the groundwork for the project is ongoing.
Dudi, a traditional drum of the Kodavas, made of metal base and animal hide. Image meant for representational purpose only.
Madikeri :
The Kodava community has a unique culture juxtaposed with tribal and martial history. While the unique traditions are highly revered in the district, research work on the history or culture of the community is less. However, this loophole is now being addressed by the Indian Foundation for the Arts (IFA), which will soon set up an interactive Virtual Museum of Kodava Heritage and culture called the – Sandooka Museum.
The virtual museum will likely stand completed and be accessible globally by February next year and the groundwork for the project is ongoing. The museum will be an interactive online space that will provide a glimpse into the history, traditions, land, lives, customs and beliefs of the Kodava community.
We are putting together various videos, pictures, audios and text for the project. There are numerous village festivals in Kodagu and each Kodava clan has its own annual rituals. At the ground level, we are visiting the villages, Kodava families, temples and Kodava organizations to avail authentic materials for the museum,” explained M Nitin Kushalappa, an author who is involved in the museum project with the IFA.
“We do not acquire the materials from the people but make copies of the same, which will be uploaded online,” he added.
“This might be the first virtual museum of the sort in India. Our approach is based on community collaboration and we have an open call announced in which we are inviting people to share their own stories and experiences of Kodava culture. Be it a family photograph or heirloom, documentation of a festival or ritual, or even images of public artifacts that they would like to talk about. The open calls will select stories from among those sent in a feature on the website and that it is ‘The Living Museum of Kodava Culture,’ “explained Lina Vincent, the project director.
The advisory committee led by Rathi Vinay Jha, CP Beliappa and Hemanth Sathyanarayan is guiding the project team led by project director Lina Vincent, design team Saurav Roy and Upasana Roy alongside Nitin. The team is currently involved in recording folk songs and other audio and video clips from the people from the community. The team is open to accepting contributions from the community members.
Kodavas are indigenous residents of Kodagu and the population of the community is just 1.25 lakh. The majority of the Kodavas are settled in Kodagu. The community has rich tribal and folk culture that is being passed on from generations. Not many works have taken shape in documenting the rich culture of the community. The establishment of a virtual museum archiving the traditions of the community is welcomed by the residents of the district.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / May 29th, 2022
Dr Vishwa Cariappa BS, Managing Director of San Group of Companies was presented ‘Achievers of Bengaluru’ Award at a function held in Bengaluru on May 20, 2022.
The Award, instituted by Vijaya Karnataka and Bangalore Mirror, was presented by Home Minister Araga Jnanedra. The Home Minister expressed his delight and congratulated the organisers for hosting the prominent event.
Responding after receiving the award Dr BS Vishwa Cariappa said, “It is an inspiration for me to do even better.
‘Achievers of Bengaluru’ Award is intended to recognize those who have achieved excellence in various fields. I am very happy to be a part of such an award.” Cariappa further added, “San Group launched with the goal of achieving excellence in the real estate industry and today the company has expanded into several sectors. This award is also an encouragement to serve more people in the future.”
The event was also attended by noted performer Dolly Dhananjay along with actress Sanjana Anand.
This story is provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
source: http://www.newdelhinews.net / New Delhi News.net / Home / by ANI / May 27th, 2022
Arriving in London during the late ’60s with just his guitar, Biddu Appaiah went on to become a globally renowned music producer who sold millions of records. Here’s his story.
What do the songs ‘Kung Fu Fighting’, ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’, ‘Disco Deewane’ and ‘Made in India’ have in common? Apart from selling millions of copies worldwide, these records serenaded audiences from Russia to Peru, and stood as pioneers of global disco and pop music from the Indian subcontinent. (Image courtesy Facebook/Biddu)
What also binds them is the fact that they were all produced by a man from Bengaluru who left for London in the Swinging Sixties to pursue his love for popular Western music.
It’s incredible that more people in India don’t know Biddu Appaiah and his remarkable contributions to music. A great deal of the pop music Indians listen to today can trace their roots to the songs he produced. It was his production chops that not only introduced the world to artists like Carl Douglas, Nazia Hassan, Alisha Chinai and Shaan, but also opened commercial avenues for other independent talent in India who didn’t require the backing or endorsement of the Hindi film industry (Bollywood) producers or already established cinestars.
The Hindi film industry fought to wrest control back from the music labels supporting independent artists, but the onset of the internet has revived that spirit of independence. Here’s the brief story of a man, music producer and composer who left India behind to follow his dreams, but found his way back to influence generations of artists.
Left: Biddu & Alisha China (Image: Instagram/Alisha Chinai), Right: At a book launch (Image: The Post Script Team/Creative Commons)
‘Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting’
Born on 8 February 1944 in Bengaluru, Biddu attended the Bishop Cottons Boys’ School. Growing up listening to pop music from the West on the popular radio station Radio Ceylon (of Sri Lanka), his major musical influences as a teenager were Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Learning how to play the guitar, he eventually formed a band with his friend Ken Gnanakan called the Trojans at 16.
They would play in small clubs, weddings, private parties and bars across Bengaluru before graduating to gigs in other cities like Kolkata and Mumbai. As an English-speaking band, they made their name by largely playing cover versions of songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Trini Lopez, and other Western music stars of the day. However, once the group split up, Biddu briefly performed as the lone ‘Trojan’ before leaving for England in the late 1960s.
Embarking on a journey to England in 1967, Biddu first made his way to the Middle East by climbing on a Haj ship in 1967 to Mecca before hitchhiking across the Middle East, where he performed multiple gigs.
In a 2020 interview with the Deccan Herald, he recalled, “I wanted to make it in the West. India in the 60s was a poor country; we were dancing with Russia instead of rocking with the West. I needed to get out of India as my interest was Western pop music; I was never into Bollywood. I left India and walked all the way to Beirut, singing there for six months until I saved enough moolah [money] to get to England.”
About his arrival in England, he once said in an interview with the BBC, “I didn’t really know too much about England or anything – I’d just come here on the chance of meeting the Beatles and doing some music. Everything that I did had this danceable flavour.”
To support his dreams of becoming a singer, he worked odd jobs, including one as a chef in London to save up enough money for studio time. He eventually cut a single, which impressed nobody and recalled “as an Indian in those days, they were happier to hire me as an accountant than as a singer”.
Realising that he wasn’t going to make it as a singer signed on a major record label, he instead decided to produce his own records, which, in the early days, didn’t generate much success. His first major success came in 1969, when he produced a song called ‘Smile for Me’ written by Barry and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees and performed by a Japanese band called The Tigers.
Since members of the band couldn’t speak English at the time, Biddu taught them how to sing English songs phonetically, given his knowledge of the language and love for pop music. The song topped the charts in Japan, and its success was the breakthrough he needed in England.
Entering the 1970s, he was producing a variety of disco songs that received little airplay on radio, but found underground appreciation from fans in the north of England.
His first real moment of success and mass acclaim came when he began working with Jamaican-born musician Carl Douglas in 1972. As a 2020 Financial Times article recollects, “Douglas was recording ‘I Want to Give You My Everything’ (written by Larry Weiss), which they did in a few hours. There was little time left to record a B-side. Douglas proposed ‘Kung Fu Fighting’, which he had written after seeing youngsters doing mock-kung fu moves in the street. It was recorded in a couple of takes. Biddu added the ‘Hurgh! Hurgh!’ exclamations. The record company people heard it and instantly realised that the B-side was the hit. They were right — ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ became one of the biggest-selling singles of all time.”
From here, there was no looking back. Biddu would soon establish himself as an important producer in the UK soul and disco scenes in the 1970s, working with a variety of artists including Tina Charles and Jimmy James. The songs he produced made their way to the UK Singles Chart and Billboard 100, while he continued making his own critically acclaimed music with ‘The Biddu Orchestra’.
‘Aap Jaisa Koi’
Biddu was never truly interested in doing film soundtracks, according to his autobiography ‘Made in India: Adventures of a Lifetime’. But that changed when Feroz Khan, a renowned Hindi cinema actor and producer, came to London to meet him in 1979.
Feroz had heard his instrumental albums and wanted him to produce a song for a film he was making called ‘Qurbani’. They met at an apartment he was renting near Claridges Hotel in Mayfair, and what ensued would change Indian pop music forever.
The Bollywood actor’s sales pitch was pretty simple, even though Biddu admittedly knew little of Hindi films or music. Feroz said, “Listen, you and I come from Bangalore. We are both Bangalore boys.” Biddu observed that Feroz was using the “old boys from the hood routine”. Feroz would then go on to say, “Come on, do it for a friend. Your mama will be so pleased.”
Although Biddu initially agreed to take on the project, he was still not convinced, even though Feroz had gone out on a limb for him. Local music directors in Mumbai had threatened to organise a boycott of his film if he “used a foreigner” to make music for one of the songs. However, once Feroz agreed to Biddu’s wish to record the song in London and not use playback singers dominating the music charts in India, there was no looking back.
The next thing they had to do was find a singer in London who could sing in Hindi. That’s when Feroz Khan came up with the name of a young 15-year-old Pakistani girl living in London called Nazia Hassan. Feroz knew her parents well and convinced them to let their daughter sing one song for his film. A couple of days later Biddu met the young Nazia, her brother Zoheb and their parents at their apartment in Century Court opposite the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground.
After singing a verse and chorus from one of Biddu’s songs ‘Dance Little Lady’, Nazia got the gig and went on to record the timeless ‘Aap Jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye’.
“Her voice did not have the piercing sharpness of most Asian singers. The pleasantness in her voice was around C3, from middle C to G4 — warm, expressive and nubile. It wasn’t a great voice. But it was different, and it was this that made the difference between using her and someone from the old school in India,” wrote Biddu in his autobiography.
After recording Nazia’s part, he went into Red Bus Studios and added some of his magic dust alongside his sound engineer Richard Dodd.
“I had a catchy introductory riff played on the sitar; I used the syn drums, which had never been used in a Hindi song before. The syn drum made a sound not unlike my name. It went ‘bidoo’ every time you hit it and I double-tracked Nazia’s voice to give it some oomph. Once again, I used a rhythm box with a Latin beat to give it a hip-swaying groove,” he wrote.
‘Made in India’
Suffice to say, the song became a raging hit in not just India, but around the world. Despite its massive success, Bollywood didn’t come calling immediately. Instead, about a year later, a representative from the London branch of HMV (later called SaReGaMa), one of India’s largest music companies, came to see him. The record executive expressed the company’s desire for Biddu to make an album with Nazia Hassan. This was the first non-film album the company was going to make. After much negotiation, which also included the payment of royalties to the artists involved, he got into the studio with Nazia and Zoheb to produce an Urdu album.
Modelling the siblings on another famous brother-sister duo in the United States called ‘The Carpenters’ they recorded the album ‘Disco Deewane’, which was a smash hit across the world with the record charting across 14 countries, including Brazil, where it went No.1. The record sold almost 100,000 copies on the day of its release, a remarkable feat for South Asian music artists in the West. Following ‘Disco Deewane’, they went onto work on three more albums including ‘Star/Boom Boom’ in 1982, ‘Young Tarang’ in 1984 and ‘Hotline’ in 1987.
Album cover of a pop and disco music classic (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Together, the brother-sister duo went on to sell 60 million records worldwide. During this period, he also made massive hit records for famous Japanese (Akina Nakamori), Chinese and Filipino pop stars as well, besides making a return to the UK music scene with house music records.
After spending about a decade making records with Nazia and Zoheb, he worked with Hindi vocalist Shwetta Shetty producing her 1993 album ‘Johnny Joker’.
But it was 1995 that Biddu really made his mark in India, composing and producing the legendary ‘Made in India’ album by Hindi pop and playback singer Alisha Chinai. The song and the music video that followed was one of the key avenues MTV chose to launch their channel in India.
Interestingly, some anecdotes even claim that the song was originally meant for Nazia on the vocals, but she apparently refused. Eventually the song fell on Alisha China’s lap and for the backup vocals, Biddu employed another young budding singer, Sophie Chaudhary.
opping the charts in India, the album sold over five million copies. In addition to Alisha Chinai, he kickstarted the pop music careers of artists like Shaan, his sister Sagarika Mukherjee and even famous playback singers Sonu Nigam and KS Chitra. A lot of the Indian pop music scene in the 1990s and early 2000s was marked by the records that Biddu produced.
There’s a lot more to his story. But what’s more important is that generations of people from literally all over the world have swayed their hips to his hit records. And this isn’t even an exaggeration. For a man from Bengaluru, who hitchhiked across the Middle East and landed up in London with his guitar, he sure made his mark on the world of music.
The contribution of Tibetans Soldiers , who have served in the Special Frontier Force (A unit of Indian Armed Forces) in fighting with enemies by joining with the Indian Soldiers, have been hailed by Air Marshal (retd.) Nanda Cariappa, son of First Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal late K.M. Cariappa.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a felicitation programme organised by Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society (ITFS), Bylakuppe, in honour of Tibetan ex-Servicemen of Special Frontier Force and the families of deceased ex-Servicemen recently.
He further said that the security of India depends on the freedom to Tibet. “Tibetan soldiers are protecting our country in an altitude of 18,000ft. without oxygen and they have also participated in India-Pakistan War for liberation of Bangla. According to them, the time will come when Tibetans residing in temporary houses in India will certainly go back to Tibet for permanent houses, he added and appealed Tibetan youths to follow the footsteps of their forefathers.
Meena Nanda, wife of Nanda Cariappa, attended the event.
Earlier, B.V. Javaregowda, President of ITFS, Bylakuppe, explained the purpose of the day. Settlement Officers of Tibetans Government Lobsang Yeshi explained the history of Tibet and another Settlement Officer Chime Dorje introduced Air Marshal (retd.) Nanda Cariappa to the gathering. A.A. Chengappa, Secretary of ITFS briefed the activities of the Society. Members of Parliament (MPs) of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile Lobsang Sithar and Ngodup Dorjee also spoke.
Pema Sithar, President of Tibetan ex-Servicemen Organisation, briefed on the roll of the Tibetan Soldiers in Tibetan Army.
Presidents of Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association and Heads of various Monasteries were present. More than 500 ex-Servicemen and their family members participated. J.P. Urs, South Zone Co-ordinator of Tibet Support Group, proposed a vote of thanks.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 23rd, 2022
After Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies reignited the nepotism debate, Gulshan Devaiah stepped in to defend the filmmaker.
As the nepotism debate surrounding Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies intensifies , actor Gulshan Devaiah weighed in on the subject, saying that the whole discussion was just an excuse for a select few to settle personal scores. His tweet comes a few days after director Zoya Akhtar shared the teaser of her upcoming film , which stars Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda and Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor.
Gulshan wrote, “Opinion: The nepotism debate harnesses the angst & disdain that many have from within & outside the Hindi entertainment industry to serve the interests of a few who use it to settle personal scores. This business is tough & very unfair but nepotism is not it’s greatest problem.” He added, “As an actor (for example) the anxiety & insecurity comes from the need for opportunities & there are privileged ones who have it a bit easier but this is a bit of an illusion that’s amplified/coloured by personal & peer opinions based on individual and collective disappointments.”
“
Opinion: The nepotism debate harnesses the angst & disdain that many have from within & outside the Hindi entertainment industry to serve the interests of a few who use it to settle personal scores. This business is tough & very unfair but nepotism is not it’s greatest problem.
— Gulshan Devaiah (@gulshandevaiah) May 17, 2022
“
He further wrote, “If a producer wants to capitalise on the public interest in a star kid then it’s their prerogative to do so. It’s no crime. This method has its more than fair share of failures. Film production is a private business. It’s not based on merit the way for eg: education, sports are.” In another tweet, he wrote, “This is the nature of this business. It’s tough.. very very tough & hence forget being rich & famous but to be a regularly working actor is most desirable. People have to find their way through this very very subjective & judgemental business (audiences also judge).”
The nepotism debate has always hounded the film industry, but was kicked into a higher gear after Kangana Ranaut accused Karan Johar of being the ‘flagbearer of nepotism’ on Koffee with Karan. It was reignited after The Archies teaser was released on Saturday. In the film, Suhana will supposedly play Veronica Lodge, while Khushi will play a version of Betty Cooper. The film is set in 1960’s India and is said to be a musical.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Entertainment Desk, New Delhi / May 19th, 2022
Seen are (sitting from left): Baleyada Hemalatha – Treasurer; Nallamada Carriappa – Secretary; Kullachanda Kesari – President; Noorera Yashu Bipin – Joint Secretary;(standing from left): Coluvanda Chengappa, Chendanda Nirmala Subramani, Bachamada Vasanth – Committee Members
The Annual Get-together of Railway Kodava Association was held at Simply Kodavas in Vijayanagar, Mysuru, on May 15.
On the occasion, Bachamada Vasanth and Coluvanda Chengappa, who retired from service, were felicitated in the presence of their family members and the new Committee was formed.
The new team comprises of Baleyada Hemalatha – Treasurer; Nallamada Carriappa – Secretary; Kullachanda Kesari – President; Noorera Yashu Bipin – Joint Secretary;( Coluvanda Chengappa, Chendanda Nirmala Subramani, Bachamada Vasanth – Committee Members
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / May 20th, 2022
“There’s one Indian playing an ATP250 event or in an ATP Masters, for example, out of a billion people and if you’re not able to show that match, how do you encourage young athletes?,” asks Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna.
Proven champion: Rohan Bopanna was the last man from India to win a Grand Slam title when he lifted the mixed doubles crown at the 2017 French Open with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski. – V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
After a lean 2021 season, Rohan Bopanna,India’s top-ranked men’s doubles player, has had a fairly good run in the first four months of 2022.
World No. 25 Bopanna began this season winning the first ATP 250 event of the year in Adelaide with compatriot Ramkumar Ramanathan . The pair went on to win the Maharashtra Open in Pune.
The 6-foot-4 tennis star from Bengaluru was the last man from India to win a Grand Slam title when he won the mixed doubles crown at the 2017 French Open with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski.
In a chat with Sportstar, the 42-year-old reflected on the first quarter of this season and his plans for the Roland Garros. He also shared his thoughts on the possibility of the Chennai Open returning to the ATP tour calendar and the way forward for Indian tennis.
Any initial thoughts on your season so far?
I am extremely happy with the way the season has gone so far, especially looking at how it was last [year]. Last year during this period of time, I hadn’t won a match up until literally this week (April), which was the Estoril week. So surely, extremely happy with the way the season has gone. Having two titles, having some good results in some big events, so that’s really wonderful and I’m really happy with it.
This season, you have played with a few singles specialists (Ramkumar Ramanathan, Denis Shapovalov and Aslan Karatsev) and also with players who primarily play doubles (Jamie Murray and Matwe Middelkoop). How do they differ? How do you adjust to their playing style?
The biggest thing that has always helped me, no matter who I played with, is to only focus on my game and not to really worry whether he’s a singles player or a doubles player. I try and see where I can adapt my game to their strengths and use my strengths in those situations. That always helps me.
At the end of the day, you just have to find a way to win these close points. Figure out who’s playing kind of a little bit better in that particular match on deuce points and maybe ask them to take it or you take the deuce points.
As far as a singles player is concerned, Karatsev was the only one who I had not played with and that was the first time but I’ve been playing with Dennis Shapovalov for a long time and you know we had some good wins. We beat the number one pair [Mate] Pavic and [Nikola] Mektic in Miami. And then I played with Jamie for the first time, and that was really a fruitful partnership. We lost a close semifinal match [against eventual champions Rajeev Ram of the US and Joe Salisbury of UK in Monte Carlo]. Even in the semifinals, we definitely were the better team, but unfortunately, we could not win.
Great beginning: Rohan Bopanna began this season winning the first ATP 250 event of the year in Adelaide with compatriot Ramkumar Ramanathan. – GETTY IMAGES
This season has been very interesting with some big wins, but there’s a pair — Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski — that has beaten you three times. Would you say they are ones to beat this season? You finally beat them in Monte Carlo.
I told them after the match, “Nobody beats Bopanna four times in a row!” But having said that, yeah, they’ve been very, very consistent. They’ve been consistent throughout the season, and I think they have won three tournaments already. They made a couple of finals. They’re definitely the team doing well this season. When they’re confident like that, it’s tough to play them. You have to really find those small margins to try and beat them. That’s what happened in Monte Carlo. We played some close points which went our way and we managed to get that win. Yeah, surely they are the top team and the hottest team right now in the season so far.
India also won the Davis Cup tie against Denmark at home. The next tie is against Norway, which has a top ten player in Casper Ruud. Have you already started planning for that tie? Can you also share your thoughts on the format of Davis Cup?
Colours of pride: Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan with the tricolour after winning their doubles match to help India seal the Davis Cup tie against Denmark at the Delhi Gymkhana in New Delhi. – V.V. KRISHNAN
It was really nice to have a home tie. The crowd in Delhi was fantastic. It was lovely to have so many people come out and support us. Playing in India after long time, playing on grass — I’ve always loved it.
We’ve gotten used to the format. Two-day format works perfectly well, especially if you have a separate doubles team and a few separate singles guys playing it, so it kind of works out.
For every team out there, there’s not really that much of a difference. Because it’s also best-of-three sets, it’s much easier on the body, it’s easier to manage that… really happy that we got through that tie. Divij [Sharan] and I had an extremely close match.
They [Danish captain Frederik Nielsen and his partner Mikael Torpegaard] saved a couple of match… three match points. I was happy that we got the win there and especially for Divij also, to win at home. It’s a club he has grown up in and practised quite a bit, so it was nice for us to finish that tie in the third rubber itself.
We have a tough opponent in Norway and still long way to go before that because we have so many other big events before even looking at that far ahead of the season. We are still in the clay-court season and have Roland Garros. Not really looking for anything beyond that actually.
Talking about Roland Garros, have you finalised your partner?
I am playing with Middelkoop itself all the way except for Madrid because [in] Madrid, both of us could not get in because the cut-off was so strong. In Rome, Geneva and Roland Garros, I am playing with Middlekoop and I will be playing mixed doubles also, but I’m looking for a partner who I can play with and try and do well there.
How did this partnership with Middelkoop start?
Actually, it was just one event we had played in Antwerp a couple of years ago. We went to the finals in that tournament in Antwerp. So I kind of knew we got along well. Our game style suited pretty well so we said ‘why not? Let’s give it a try in the clay-court season’ but unfortunately the cuts have been so strong. Even though both our rankings are almost combined 60, we’re still struggling to get into the bracket, so that’s been a little challenging, but nevertheless, we’re trying to get as many tournaments as possible together and see how that goes.
Double impact: India’s Rohan Bopanna serves as Divij Sharan watches during their men’s doubles tennis match against Denmark’s Mikael Torpegaard and Frederik Nielsen in the Davis Cup world group 1 play-off between India and Denmark, in New Delhi. “The biggest thing that has always helped me, no matter who I played with, is to only focus on my game and not to really worry whether he’s a singles player or a doubles player. I try and see where I can adapt my game to their strengths and use my strengths in those situations — that always constantly helped me,” Bopanna said. – AFP
Do you think on clay, a team that plans better strategies wins more as compared to hard court, where if you have a very big server on your team, then you can possibly win with power? Do you think there is some basic difference while playing on clay and on hard court as a doubles team?
I don’t think that really makes that much of a difference for doubles. It’s pretty similar. The game is still pretty quick. Yeah, you know it’s not like singles that you have so many more rallies. A lot of these matches are still going into super tiebreaks like anywhere else, any other surface.
The Tamil Nadu government is trying to bring Chennai Open back. Your initial reactions to that.
I was thinking about it. It’s excellent. Chennai has always given such great support for tennis. I’ve had some very good success playing in Chennai, not only in the Chennai Open but also much earlier, playing nationals, futures and Davis Cup.
I’ve always loved playing in Chennai and I will be very happy if the tournament is back. I don’t know whether I will be playing or not by the time the tournament comes back, but still, I’m very happy to hear that they are planning to get the ATP back there. It’s a good city and [has] a lot of good tennis lovers who would love to have the tournament back.
Do you think India should have more ITFs and Challengers to give the players more exposure? What do you think should be the way forward?
It’s definitely what we need. We need a minimum 30 men’s and women’s Futures, about 20 to 30 Challengers for men and women. Also, that’s the only way if we want to compete with the best in the world. Other countries hold so many more tournaments. We have to give our country that chance before we say, ‘OK, here’s an Indian, maybe competing at the highest level’.
The other biggest thing I keep saying is that tennis has to be shown in India. This is one thing lacking. There’s one Indian playing an ATP250 event or in an ATP Masters, for example, out of a billion people and if you’re not able to show that match, how do you encourage young athletes?
How does a young athlete even know that there is somebody from their own country even playing? These are small things which make a difference.
I’ve been saying this over and over again for a long time. Unfortunately, the only way it will change is when there is visibility for your sport.
Like any other sport, there is growth when there is visibility. That is what is needed for tennis as well and it’s not just about showing tennis [with] the top guys playing. If there’s a countryman playing, it’s very important to get that also broadcast and that’s surely the right step forward for the sport to grow.
Little joys: Rohan Bopanna with wife Supriya and daughter Tridha. “My wife and daughter have been travelling to Australia and now my daughter understands that I play a little tennis. She keeps asking me why I keep going to the tennis court and why I’m playing tennis so much,” said Bopanna on travelling with the family for tennis tournaments. – SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Any fun experience that has happened to you this season or any other memorable incident across the tournaments that have you played so far that you think the readers might love to know?
The good part is that everything is finally open. We don’t have to do Covid tests anymore. Doing all those PCR tests… 150-160 PCR tests… Getting your tests done every two days in different countries, getting the reports… Definitely happy that we don’t have to do that anymore that often and maybe just once in a while.
It’s good to have the fans back. To be honest, that is the biggest fun thing about playing this sport.
I get to travel with the family. My wife and daughter have been travelling to Australia and now my daughter understands that I play a little tennis. She keeps asking me why I keep going to the tennis court and why I’m playing tennis so much.
You kind of build a family outside your family when you keep travelling because you constantly see them during that particular tournament once a year like it may be the US or UK or wherever it may be. So that is something I missed for two years. Going into the country, but not able to see them. So, it’s now nice again to meet those friends. The biggest thing is I love exploring the city so I can go and start exploring some coffee shops.
Federer and Nadal are returning after injury breaks. Federer is 40 and Nadal will be turning 36. And then there is someone like Ash Barty who took retirement at 25. What’s your perspective on this situation. What does it say about the changing narrative in the world of sports when it comes to age and retirements?
It’s a purely individual choice, to be honest. It’s how you feel. At the end of the day, it’s not easy travelling week in, week out, living out of a suitcase, eating every meal in a restaurant. It takes a toll. Even though it sounds glamorous from the outside, it’s not easy because you’re away from family and friends. Each individual looks at life differently.
Also, during the pandemic, a lot of people have gotten to reflect on what they really enjoy, what they missed and all that. Having said that, it’s very difficult to say whether they want to retire or keep going… At the end of the day, it really comes down to purely the individual decision because you never know where the mindset is. As long as the mind is healthy, you want to travel [you carry on].
The mind says, ‘You know what? I don’t want to travel anymore. I just want to stay at home. I enjoy being home more.’ That’s what it boils down to.
And then, everybody has goals — different goals, different mindsets. That athlete or that person has decided, ‘OK, this is my goal. I’ve achieved that. OK, I’m done.’ I don’t think that’s something anyone else can talk about or figure out.
source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sport Star / Home> Tennis / by Nihit Sachdeva / May 14th, 2022
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