By P.T. Bopanna
The annual Kodava family hockey tournament which was initially called off on account of last year’s landslides in Kodagu, took off on Saturday in a different format.
It may be recalled this reporter had taken the initiative to speak to the stake-holders after the 2019 edition of the festival was called off. He had taken up the matter with Pandanda Kuttappa, founder of the Kodava Hockey Academy, to go ahead with the tournament as the general public was in favour of continuing with the tournament.
The Kodava Hockey Academy finally permitted Hockey Coorg to hold the tournament under the title ‘Hockey Coorg Inter Kodava Family Champion 2019’. Kokkanda Roshan of Hockey Coorg said 149 teams are participating this year. The matches are being played at Kakotuparambu (in picture) near Virajpet.
Hockey Coorg president Paikera T Kalaiah said the tournament will be held for the teams that had played in the semi-final and final matches of the Kodava hockey tournament for the last 22 years. Separate matches will be held for other teams.
It is learnt that Harihara Mukkatira family which was to host 2019 edition, would now host the tournament in 2020 and Adengada family will host the match the following year.
Hearty news indeed and I wish the leading dailies and other journals/periodicals lend a wide coverage to this tournament.