Napoklu: The Annual Kodava Hockey Festival has already entered the Limca Book of Records and this year, Kulletira Cup Hockey Tournament featuring Kodava families will commence from April 15 at General K.S. Thimayya Stadium in Napoklu. The finals of the Hockey Festival will be held on May 13. Members of Kulletira family are working day in and day out to make the festival a grand success.

Last year, the festival was hosted by Biddatanda family at Napoklu and this year, Kulletira family has taken over the mantle of hosting the tournament where more than 300 Kodava families are expected to take part. The tournament will be organised by Kulletira family in cooperation with Kodava Hockey Academy, Hockey Coorg, Hockey Karnataka and Hockey India.

Family members said that the preparations were on for the Tournament and added that three grounds belonging to Napoklu High School are being utilised. The main field would have a strong gallery for the public to sit and watch the matches. Work on the galleries is on full swing and all the basic facilities will be provided. As it is summer, canopies have been provided for the galleries so that spectators could watch the matches conveniently.

Since the hockey festival is also an event for families to meet, interact and indulge in a host of social activities, hundreds of food and commercial stalls will be set up at the venue and adequate arrangements have been made for parking. The District Administration and the Police have been requested for cooperation and provide security for the event.

Over Rs. 1.50 crore will be needed to host the tournament and a grant of Rs. 40 lakh is expected from the State government. Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has promised a grant of Rs.20 lakh from the MP’s Fund for the Tournament.

The logo of Kulletira Cup Kodava Family Hockey was released in Madikeri on Oct. 16. Along with the logo, a brochure was also released. Family members said that Kulletira is a small family and they have kept alive the tradition of hockey and has won the Kodava Hockey Family tournaments twice.

The family has given many of its members to the Armed Forces and many of them have served in government under various capacities. The family is also known for keeping their Ainmane (ancestral house) in good condition.

Match organisers said that they have plans to gift Kodava ‘Odikathi’ to all the participating team as a memento. They said that several jathas have been organised across the district to attract more participants and crowd for the mega event.

As the main attraction for the tournament, flood-lit matches will be organised between noted national teams (Men) like Punjab Eleven, Army Eleven, Punjab Bank, Orissa Eleven and Kodagu Eleven. In the Women’s section, Orissa Eleven, Punjab Eleven, Railways and Karnataka Eleven will participate, the organisers added.