Kodava family Coorg Championship Hockey Championship and Kodava Champions League Trophy Tournaments, organised by ‘Hockey Coorg’ commenced at Kakotuparambu Government Primary School Grounds yesterday. Earlier to that, special puja was performed at Kalabhyrava Temple.

Former International Hockey Karnataka General Secretary Dr. A. Subbaiah inaugurated the Tourney by lighting the traditional lamp. Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Forum President Col. (Retd.) K. Subbaiah launched both the Tourneys simultaneously by hitting the ball with a hockey stick.

Speaking on the occasion, A. Subbaiah expressed pride to represent the family in the tourney and asked all families to participate with enthusiasm. Recalling the contribution of Kodagu district to hockey, he desired that many more should enter the national level.

Continuing, Subbaiah said that five sportspersons have joined the National Training Camp and added that M. Leelavati had joined the women’s team and three girls have joined the junior team.

Commending the sportspersons, he asked parents to encourage their children to take up sports. He lauded the organisers in launching the Hockey Tourney despite the flood havoc in Kodagu in the recent past because of which Kodava families had decided not to stage the Hockey Tourney.

Forum President Col. (Retd.) K. Subbaiah said that the spirit of the participating players should be on line with that of Olympics but advised players to focus on quality-based game to be appreciated by sports lovers.

Kakotuparambu Sports and Recreation Club President M. Chinnappa recalled that several Kodava families were engaged in playing hockey matches for the last 22 years which was started by P. Kuttani.

Tourney Committee Working President M.P. Subbaiah expressed pride in announcing that international player A. Subbaiah was his protege.

Hockey Coorg Vice-President P. Lavakumar, Partha Chengappa, M. Pemmaiah, Treasurer I. Lala Ayyanna, Technical Committee Head N. Pavan, Joint Secretaries Divya Mutthappa, K. Roshan, Sports Committee Vice-President M. Ravi Pemmaiah, Convenor B. Partha Chengappa, Tourney Head M. Subbaiah, Secretary B. Chengappa, A. Chengappa and others were present.

Totally 139 Kodava families have registered for the Tourney. For the Champions Trophy, 10 invited teams have been selected. The matches will go on till May 7 in two fields.

For the Champions Trophy, the first match was played between Kaliyanda and Jeppudira teams with the latter beating the former who are the defending champions surprising everybody.

Kodagu Hindu Football Tourney

In the Kodagu Hindu Football Tourney organised by Kodagu Hindu Malayali Samaja at Government Primary School Grounds in Gonikoppal yesterday, Maragodu Vaishnavi (A) and Mathrubhoomi teams entered the semi-final. In the quarter finals, Vaishnavi (A) team beat Ammatti Nehru team by 1-0 while Mathrubhoomi team defeated Cauvery Friends by 1-0.

In the valedictory this evening, International Athlete P.M. Thimmaiah, Shaurya Chakra winner H.N. Mahesh, district award-winning journalist S. Kishore Nachappa, H.K. Jagadish, Youth Sportspersons T.B. Ashwini and K.S. Aishwarya will be felicitated.