By P.T. Bopanna

Giving a new lease of life, the President of the Harihara Mukkatira Family Association, Mukkatira Uthaiah, has said his family was ready to host the 2019 edition of the Kodava Hockey Festival.

The tournament earlier scheduled to be held at Balugodu near Virajpet in April, 2019, was cancelled in view of the unprecedented devastation caused by the rain havoc in Kodagu.

Speaking to this reporter, the President of the host team Uthaiah, said he was ready to go ahead with the game if it was agreeable to other stakeholders.

The decision to cancel the 2019 edition was taken by the Kodava Hockey Academy, founded by Pandanda Kuttappa, to oversee and have the final say in all matters related to the tournaments.

Uthaiah disclosed that he had not received any official communication from the Academy regarding the cancellation, except for reading about reports in the media.

The President has also noted that the Mukkatira family had already spent Rs. 15 lakh towards preparations for the tournaments.

Moreover, even the Karnataka Government has announced that it would go ahead with Madikeri Dasara this year.

In the circumstances, hockey administrators like A.B. Subbaiah could speak to the stake-holders to go ahead with the 2019 tournaments.