Kodavas cherished pursuing patriotic passions. Thus, one became part of the nation’s defense forces, and the opposite was to play the national game. Hence, it became said that a Kodava was born with a hockey stick in one hand and a gun in the other.
Hockey became no longer just a game in Kodagu; it became a way of life. Kodagu’s youngsters practiced and excelled in hockey. There was untapped talent in Kodagu. However, there was no way to illustrate it.
Considering this, Pandanda Kuttappa (Kutani) and his brother Kashi Ponnappa decided to begin the once-a-year Kodava hockey pageant in 1997. “I wanted this festival to be of use to kids. I wanted them to get a danger to play for India,” says Kuttappa, former first-department hockey umpire.
That year, Kuttappa’s extended circle of relatives helped organize the occasion. Teams from 60 Kodava clans came to take part. The Kaliyanda team won the Pandanda Cup. The occasion is referred to as a festival (name, in Kodava language) and no longer a tournament as it facilitates bringing humans together to celebrate. Every 12 months, one Kodava clan conducts the event, and the cup is named after the extended family. The Kodava Hockey Academy governs the yearly competition.
The academy also decides which circle of relatives can organize the event in a specific year. As of now, families have chosen to manage the match till 2025. According to Shantheyanda Ravi Kushalappa, any circle of relatives that wants to organize the festival must follow the Kodava Hockey Academy. The software will be checked and considered on a primary-come-first-serve basis. They decided the family could have a year together for the occasion. The kingdom authorities partially price range the occasion in most years. Lok Sabha MP for Mysore-Kodagu also presents some money. The relaxation of the money is accrued with the aid of the circle of relatives through donations.
The family is placed together with a committee responsible for setting up the event. They pick a convenient floor and set up all the centers close to the circle of relatives’ ancestral residences. According to the Limca Book of Records, the Kodava hockey pageant is India’s most important and longest hockey event. This is probably the world’s largest circle of relatives that matches as nicely. In 2018, 329 teams participated in the Kulletira Cup held in Napoklu. Men, ladies, and kids take part in the match. There is no bar on age or gender. Among the prominent female gamers are goalkeeper Shivachaliyanda Nilan (Ekalavya awardee) and Malama Lilavati.
In 2014, the Thathanda Circle of Relatives organized a rink hockey event for 35 families. Later, codecs were supported: league matches for champions who often made it to the semifinals and knockouts for others.
In current instances, several comparable family tournaments, along with Kodava cricket, badminton, tug-of-war and golf, Kodagu Gowda cricket, Kodagu Heggade hockey, Amma Kodava cricket, Yerava cricket, Kodagu Muslim soccer, and volleyball activities, are held in Kodagu.
The champions
A few sturdy circles of relatives regularly make it to the top. The Palanganda crew won the pageant’s best number of instances (5). They entered the final eight cases (between 2006 and 2016).
Kodagu has produced several Hockey Olympians like Maneyapanda M Somaya, Muller P Ganesh, BP Govinda, Arjun Halappa, and S V Sunil. Most of the prevailing groups have Olympians in their midst. The Koothanda crew, led by former Olympian KK Poonacha, comes a near 2d, receiving the pageant 4 times (including the 1999 draw with the Kulletira team) between 1998-2008. The Cheppudira crew, with another Olympian, C S Poonacha, had been the runners-up in the 2001 edition.
Olympian goalkeeper Anjaparavanda B Subbaiah’s group has been constant since 1997. They had been winners two times and inside the finals five instances. Subbaiah attributes the crew’s fulfillment to the outstanding character efforts of its gamers.
The Kaliyanda crew gained thrice and came 2nd twice. The Nellamakkada group received three times and hosted the 2001 Cup. Kulletira won all of the 3 times it got here to the finals. The Mandepanda group gained the event as soon as possible.
In the 2018 finals, the protecting champion, Chendanda, scored two goals and didn’t permit Anjaparavanda to score. Two Olympians were on the field: Nikkin Thimmaiah, a younger forward, and Subbaiah, a veteran goalkeeper.
