Seminar, biopic release to mark the centenary year of scholar Dr. I.M. Muthanna
Bengaluru:
Kodagu’s most acclaimed poet, Appachcha Kavi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations will be held in New Delhi.
This decision was taken by members of Kendra Sahitya Academy, which had convened a meeting recently at its regional office in Bengaluru under the Chairmanship of Kannada writer Dr. Chandrashekar Kambar.
The Academy, in association with Delhi Karnataka Sangha, Delhi Kodava Samaja and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), will jointly organise the 150th birth anniversary celebration of Appachcha Kavi.
On this occasion, to mark the centenary year of Dr. I.M. Muthanna, noted Indian writer and scholar, a seminar will be held and a biopic on the great writer will also be released.
Dr. I.M. Muthanna was a noted Indian writer, scholar and translator who wrote in English, Kannada and Kodava languages and had translated four plays of Appachcha Kavi to Kannada.
During the meeting, Academy member submitted a proposal to publish the biopic and plays of Dr. Muthanna.
Academy Convenors Dr. Siddalingaiah, Dr. Sarooj Katkar, Prof. H.S. Shivaprakash and others were present at the meeting.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 29th, 2020
Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy pays floral tributes to the statue of Field Marshal K M Cariappa in Madikeri on Tuesday.
Air Marshal (Retired) K C Cariappa said, “We, the people, should live as Indians first, ignoring the barriers of caste, creed and religion.”
He was speaking at the 121st birth anniversary programme of Field Marshal K M Cariappa, organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy and Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum at Field Marshal Cariappa Circle here on Tuesday.
MLA Appachu Ranjan said Cariappa used to reiterate the slogan that the nation comes first. “Cariappa believed in the values of punctuality and honesty. He was known for patriotism. All must cultivate his ideologies,” he said.
Ranjan said that he has requested the chief minister to move a proposal to the Central government to declare Cariappa’s birth anniversary as a national birth anniversary.
Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that she is proud to work in the homeland Cariappa. Apart from being a land of natural resources and tourist attractions, Kodagu is also known as the land of brave soldiers, she added.
The dignitaries paid floral tributes were paid to the statue of Cariappa. Former minister M C Nanaiah, MLC Sunil Subramani, MLC Shanteyanda Veena Acchaiah, General Thimmaiah Forum President Col (retd) K C Subbaiah, convener B A Nanjappa, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy chairperson Dr Ammatanda Parvathi Appaiah and Zilla Panchayat CEO K Lakshmi Priya were present on the occasion.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DHNS, Madikeri / January 28th, 2020
Three cadets from 19 KAR NCC Battalion (Coorg Battalion) in Kodagu of Karnataka-Goa Directorate have been selected for the Annual Republic Day (R-Day) Parade in New Delhi on Jan. 26. They will perform in the NCC contingent that will march through the Rajpath greeting dignitaries including President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The cadets are Junior Under Officer M.J. Puneeth, a Second B.Com student from Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College, Madikeri. He is the son of M.L. Jagadeesh and T.M. Chandramani. Puneeth hails from Manjoor village in Sakleshpur of Hassan. Puneeth will take part in Prime Minister’s Rally.
The Republic Day celebration is a three day extravaganza and after this celebration at India Gate, on Jan. 27, a Prime Minister’s Rally is held by a crème of NCC cadets displaying various breathtaking performances and drill.
The other cadet is Sergeant V.E. Abhishek, a Second PUC student from Pre-University College, Murnad. He is the son of V.S. Eshwar and V.E. Asha Kumari of Murnad village. He will take part in all India cultural show.
The third candidate from Coorg Battalion to participate in the prestigious parade is Codanda Nila Somanna. She is a Junior Under Officer and will represent the cultural team and is taking part in youth exchange programme.
She is the head girl of Coorg Public School, Gonikoppa and is the only girl cadet from Kodagu to reach New Delhi this year. She is the daughter of Codanda Sampan Somanna and Rashmi from Balele village.
Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Mysuru
From Mysuru, cadets Pragyan Sharma, Pranav Teja Shankar and Krrish Garla of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Yadavagiri, are representing the Karnataka and Goa Directorate in New Delhi. They will attend the Prime Minister’s rally. These three are the only cadets from Junior Division Army Wing from Mysuru Group who are attending the R-Day Camp.
National Public School, Mysuru
Sergeant Kongetira Anagha Iyappa will also represent Karnataka and Goa Directorate at the Republic Day Parade. She is from the Junior Wing NCC, Mysore Group and is part of the Cultural Team competing at Delhi. She is a Class 9 student from National Public School (NPS), Mysuru and the youngest girl cadet in the Karnataka-Goa Contingent. She is the daughter of Col. Kongetira C. Iyappa and Nandini Iyappa.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 24th, 2020
KM Cariappa is a man known for many firsts, but most importantly, he is known as the man who took charge of the Indian Army from its last British Commander in Chief, General Sir Roy Bucher. Born on January 28, 1899, in Coorg, Cariappa completed his education at Central High School at Madikeri and went on to study at the Presidency College in Madras.
However, Cariappa began his Army stint under the British and was among the few selected for the first batch of KCIOs (King’s Commissioned Indian Officers) at the Daly Cadet College in Indore and was commissioned in the Carnatic Infantry. He was in active service with the 37 (Prince of Wales) Dogra in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and then posted to the 2nd Rajput Light Infantry (Queen Victoria’s Own). Cariappa went on to become the first Indian officer to undergo the course at Staff College, Quetta in 1933. In 1946, he got promoted as the Brigadier of the Frontier Brigade Group.
By Indian independence, Cariappa saw action in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Burma and became the first Indian Officer to be given command of a unit in 1942. He went on to receive many awards and accolades in his career spanning three decades. He received the prestigious Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his role in Burma against the Japanese during the Second World War.
In 1947, Cariappa became the first Indian to be selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberly, UK. His role during the Partition is rarely mentioned, during which he oversaw the division of the Army. Cariappa also led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pak War of 1947 and successfully recaptured Zojila, Drass and Kargil and established a linkup with Leh.
On January 15, 1949, Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He held the five-star rank of field marshal, the highest honour in the Indian Army, which Sam Manekshaw is the only other officer to have held.
source: http://www.defenceaviationpost.com / Defence Aviation Post / Home> Defence> Indian Army / source: Indian Express / January 20th, 2020
One of India’s leading Sports Administrators, five-time National Decathlon Champion, senior sports achiever in National and International arena and the first person in Kodava community to secure a Doctoral degree in Sports, Dr. C.M. Muthaiah passed away in Bengaluru on Dec. 5. He was 87.
Dr. Codanda Madappa Muthaiah was born in Madikeri on April 30, 1932 and had secured gold medal (first rank) in M.Sc. Biomechanics from Germany. Despite his education in Science, he had deep interest in sports and Muthaiah was involved in Decathlon, Long Jump and High Jump and had achieved National and International-level recognitions.
From 1956 till 1960, Dr. Muthaiah had won National-level and Asian-level championships. He had won the National Championship crown five times and recognising his achievements, he was bestowed the title “Golden Shoe” in 1977. One of his biggest regret was his narrowly missing the Decathlon Medal in the Tokyo Asian Games in 1958. Dr. Muthaiah was instrumental in bringing the Sports Authority of India, South Centre, to Bengaluru.
After dedicating his youth to the cause of sports, Codanda Muthaiah served the field as a Coach and Sports Officer. He went on to become a Senior First Grade Coach at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports commonly known as National Institute of Sports (NIS), the Sports Training Centre at Patiala in 1962. He later served as the chief of NIS, an Academic Wing of Sports Authority of India and Asia’s largest Sports Institute in Patiala, Punjab.
Dr. Muthaiah had also served as the Director General of the Sports Department of the Union Government and in 1982, he was conferred the ‘Asiad Vishist Jyothi’ for his contribution to Asian Games and Rajyotsava Award in 2013.
He was appointed as the Technical Advisor when the Asian Games was organised in New Delhi in 1982 and had served as Technical Director to various other National and International Games.
He also served as the Secretary General of Asian Track and Field Research Centre. After retirement, he was residing at Jayamahal Extension in Bengaluru. He is survived by wife Parvathi and a daughter.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / December 13th, 2019
Mother of Class 8 student, Arshiya T, was always worried about how to send her child to tournaments and cope with academics at the same time. “My daughter is passionate about badminton. But how will she cover the chapters that she misses out on during the tournament?” said Arshiya.
The Sports School at Vaderahalli on Kanakapura Road tries to mitigate this point of parents, who are worried about the academic performance of their kids. The school’s tailor-made teaching method allows students to pursue their sporting dream without compromising academics.
Set up in partnership with Jain Group of Institutions, the main highlight of the school is involvement of sports celebrities such as tennis player Rohan Bopanna, cricketer Robin Uthappa and shuttler Anup Sridhar on the advisory board. “Coaching is something that I’m fully passionate about. Today, I got the opportunity to advise The Sports School to run their cricket coaching, set up a curriculum, collaborate with many national and international clubs and associations to conduct tournaments often and make sure that each student is given complete attention to nurture their skills,” said Uthappa.
According to Sridhar, setting up of these kind of schools can empower other sports, other than just cricket. “The school allows children to get proper training from a young age that will ensure more potential. They can explore suitable careers that can go along with your sports interests with a backup of academic qualification. If we get such qualified professionals, it can boost any sport,” he said.
All these established players unanimously agreed that this is something essential for the development of the athletes.
“Managing studies during your competitions as well as during the preparations is a big challenge. I personally have faced this. Fifteen years ago, parents used to be very strict about children following studies and giving up any other interest for the sake of it. But now, parents are okay if children compromise on their studies. They want them to play more and be popular. Both situations are not correct. When I was introduced to the concept of this school, I took it up immediately. This is something I dreamed of doing myself at some point of my life,” Uthappa added.
Bopanna, who runs his own tennis academy, said, “I never had a facility like this. It’s good to provide an athlete the right direction to become a world-class player. They need education to lead their life and career. That drew my attention towards this initiative.”
He also added that the school takes care of the overall development of the player.
“Nutrition, physical fitness and stress management – everything has been taken care of, just like how a professional player is exposed to.”
Speaking about the development of students in rural areas and the concept of inclusion, Jaggi Nadig, chief marketing officer, The Sports School, said, “Training of specially-abled children and government school students is under discussion.
There is a lot of economics behind it. We are trying to get CSR sponsors to initiate that. Right now, we are focusing on reaching out to as many children as possible.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sports> Others / by Lesly Joseph, Express News Service / Decembr 23rd, 2019
A survey conducted in 2019 revealed women in India are paid 19% less than men. While the participation of women in the workforce is only 26%, with merely 9% being in any kind of leadership position, the practices of sex-based bias and stereotypes at formal and informal workplaces gravitate from structural violence over their bodies to seeking organisation’s permission to be under wedlock as in the case of the first Indian woman Ambassador: C B Muthamma.
Image source : Twitter
Early life
Chonira Belliappa Muthamma, the first woman to clear the Indian Civil Services examinations, the first woman Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, the first Indian woman diplomat, later the first Indian woman Ambassador (or High Commissioner), was born in Virajpet in Karnataka’s Kodagu (then Coorg), a coffee-growing district in southern India on January 24, 1924. Muthamma’s father, who was a forest officer, passed away when C B Muthamma was nine years old. Being a single parent raising four children, her mother made it a priority to give them the best possible education. She did her schooling in St Joseph`s Girl School in Madikeri. Later, she moved to Chennai to pursue her undergrad from the Women’s Christian College and her Master of Arts degree in English Literature from Presidency College, Chennai.
IN THE END, SHE WAS GIVEN ABYSMALLY LOW MARKS, IN SPITE OF WHICH SHE TOPPED THE FOREIGN SERVICE LIST AND BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN IFS OFFICER IN 1949. WHEN SHE ENTERED THE SERVICE, MUTHAMMA WAS MADE TO SIGN AN UNDERTAKING THAT SHE MAY BE REQUIRED TO RESIGN FROM HER JOB ONCE SHE GOT MARRIED.
In 1948, a year after independence, C B Muthamma cleared the UPSC examination, becoming the first woman to join the Indian Civil Services. Her struggles started with the UPSC Board interview where the Board members tried to persuade her to change her first option for the IFS. In the end, she was given abysmally low marks, in spite of which she topped the Foreign Service list and became the first woman IFS officer in 1949. When she entered the service, Muthamma was made to sign an undertaking that she may be required to resign from her job once she got married. “This was clearly against the Constitution, but in those early days, it did not occur to me to challenge that rule…there was an attitude of vengefulness on the part of the men—a feeling that should be kept in their places, and that they should be encouraged to leave,” she cited this incident in her collection of essays, aptly entitled, Slain by the System.
Muthamma Vs Union of India
With this bizarre rule intact at the Ministry of External Affairs, Mira Sinha Bhattacharjea and Rama Mehta were among those who had to leave the service, points out Kishen Rana in the Indian Foreign Affairs Journal. In addition to facing everyday prejudices against women in Indian society, which got reflected in the ministry, Muthamma was not accepted by several Ambassadors citing various reasons as to why it was inappropriate to send a woman to the station. Finally, she was first posted to the Indian Embassy in Paris. It was there she understood that it is not only Indian diplomats who had problems with a female colleague, but also her peers in other Embassies who were equally not at ease in dealing with a woman in workplace. She then served in Rangoon, London, and on the Pakistan and America Desks in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
SHE WAS FIRST POSTED TO THE INDIAN EMBASSY IN PARIS. IT WAS THERE SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT IS NOT ONLY INDIAN DIPLOMATS WHO HAD PROBLEMS WITH A FEMALE COLLEAGUE, BUT ALSO HER PEERS IN OTHER EMBASSIES WHO WERE EQUALLY NOT AT EASE IN DEALING WITH A WOMAN IN WORKPLACE.
The tipping point for her was when she was overlooked for promotion to Grade I, the highest level of Secretary to Government of India, of the IFS. In 1979, she brought the petition against the government, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) and Ministry of External Affairs, on the grounds of professional gender bias and discrimination contradicting Article 14 (equality before the law) and Article 16 (equality of opportunity in matters of public employment) of the Constitution.
She further challenged Rule 8(2) of IFS (Conduct & Discipline) Rules, 1961 which stated that, “a woman member of the service shall obtain the permission of the Government in writing before her marriage is solemnised. At any time after the marriage, a woman member of the Service may be required to resign from service, if the government is satisfied that her family and domestic commitments are likely to come in the way of the due and efficient discharge of her duties as a member of the service,” and Rule 18(4) of IFS (RCSP) Rules, 1961 which noted that, “no married woman shall be entitled as of right to be appointed to the service.”
The Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer commented that this, “…bespeaks a story which makes one wonder whether Articles 14 and 16 belong to myth or reality.” Solicitor General, Soli Sorabjee opposed the petition saying that the rule overlooking women for ambassadorship was justified. He argued that the chances of leakage of confidential information of strategic significance were a dangerous risk, and so Muthamma’s case to be made an ambassador was rightly rejected.
Though C B Muthamma was promoted to Grade I and posted as India’s Ambassador to Hungary while the trail was ongoing, the Court struck down the blatant prejudice against women’s rights in India by the iconic judgement of the Bench headed by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer.
Expert Judgements
“That on numerous occasions the petitioner had to face the consequences of being a woman and thus suffered discrimination though the Constitution specifically under Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race caste, sex or place of birth and Article 14 of the Constitution provides the principles of equality before law….”
“If a fragment of these assertions were true, unconstitutionality is writ large in the administrative psyche and masculine hubris. If there be such gender injustice in action, it deserves scrupulous attention from the summit…“
“If a woman member shall obtain the permission of the government before she marries, the same risk is run by the government if a male member contracts a marriage. If the family and domestic commitments of a woman member of the Service is likely to come in the way of efficient discharge of duties, a similar situation may well arise in the case of a male member. In these days of nuclear families, inter-continental marriages and unconventional behaviour, one fails to understand the naked bias against the gentler of the species.”
“If a married man has a right, a married woman, other things being equal, stands on no worse footing. This misogynous posture is a hangover of the masculine culture of manacling the weaker sex forgetting how our struggle for national freedom was also a battle against woman’s thraldom.”
“Freedom is indivisible, so is Justice. That our founding faith enshrined in Articles 14 and 16 should have been tragically ignored vis-a-vis half of India’s humanity, viz., our women, is a sad reflection on the distance between Constitution in the book and Law in Action.”
“In the rat race of Indian official life, seniority appears to be acquiring a religious reverence. We have had the advantage of the presence of the learned Solicitor-General, appearing for the Union of India. With characteristic fair-ness he has persuaded his client to agree to what we regard as a just gesture, viz., that the Respondent-Union of India will shortly review the seniority of the petitioner, her merit having been discovered and her seniority to Grade II being recognised.”
The Court dismissed the petition but directed the Government to review the petitioner’s case in light of the only remaining element of her complaint—that relating to the promotion of people junior to her. The Court emphasised the need to overhaul all service rules to remove discrimination.
This ruling served as an aid at many women’s meeting in support of their struggle for equality. She thus became the first woman from within the service to be appointed Ambassador. Later, she served as ambassador in Accra in Ghana, and afterwards, she was made the Indian Ambassador to The Hague in the Netherlands. She retired as one in 1982 after 32 years of service.
A Trailblazer For Working Women
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao recalls C. B. Muthamma as someone who’d waive away references to being the ‘first woman diplomat’ by saying, “Someone’s got to be first—I was old enough to have been there first.” Arundhuti Ghosh, the fiery diplomat who fought for India’s concerns on nuclear issues in Geneva, remembers her as a formidable personality and feminist who always showed consideration for people who worked below her. “For example, once she pointed out that Joint Secretaries have two air conditioners in their office rooms while non officer-grade staff had none and she gladly gave up her own A/C to share with other staff. That was Muthu for you,” Gosh said.
After retiring, she continued to be an activist. C B Muthamma was nominated as the Indian member of the independent Palme Commission, a non-governmental Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues, which reported directly to the United Nations. The spinster remained active in social movements, helping riot victims and citizen groups, her philanthropy knew no bounds. In her book the Slain by the System (2003), a collection of essays criticising of the Indian political system and its political class, she writes, “Looking back, I cannot help but conclude that my tenure with the external affairs ministry was one long tussle with the anti-women bias.” She also co-authored The Essential Kodava Cookbook (2000), compiling forgotten recipes from Coorg for the culinary enthusiast inside her. She passed away on October 14, 2009 in Bangalore at the age of 85.
C B Muthamma proved that as long as social justice is an integral part of our constitutional fundamentals, gender justice will remain a non-negotiable article of faith. She not just managed to get the Supreme Court agree that gender discrimination did exist in the foreign office but also broke many visible and invisible barriers to set a level playing field for women in IFS, women in civil service and women in all workforce.
References
1) The Better India
2) Ministry of External Affairs
3) Indian Kanoon
4) The SOP
source: http://www.feminisminindia.com / Feminism in India / Home> History / by Nivedita Jayakumar / December 16th, 2019
This year, the marathon was completely eco-friendly and trash-free, with water being served in coconut shells, food in banana leaves and plates made out of areca leaves.
Nikki Ponnappa (left) along with Milind Soman (in grey) and members of The Coorg Wellness Foundation
Bengaluru :
Bengaluru-based golfer Cheppudira Nikki Ponnappa can never decide what she is passionate about more – her love for sports or working towards saving the ecology of her hometown, Kodagu. The international-level golfer recently arranged the fifth edition of Barefoot Marathon, which happened on Sunday in Kodagu. The marathon was an initiative by her organisation, The Coorg Wellness Foundation, in association with avid marathon runner and her friend, Milind Soman.
This year, the marathon was completely eco-friendly and trash-free, with water being served in coconut shells, food in banana leaves and plates made out of areca leaves. The warm-up exercise before most marathons is usually Zumba, but keeping up with local traditions, Valaga music, which is traditional Kodava music, pumped up the participants. The highest prize being `42,000 for 42 km, the marathon had some interesting rules for the prizes that were distributed.
The cash prize went to runners from the neighbourhood area, while the non-local runners got to bring home produce by local farmers, which included rice, coffee, spices etc. All the funds collected from this event will go towards betterment of the families who lost everything in the landslide that hit Coorg in 2018.
More than 400 people participated in this marathon. Ponnappa says the main objective of the run was to bring people closer to nature. “When you run barefoot and feel the soil, it makes you feel closer to Mother Nature. Barefoot is a symbolic way to do something auspicious, plus it has lot of scientific benefits too. We have many nerve points in our feet and these runs work wonders for them.
It was great to see so many people travelling to Coorg, especially from Bengaluru, to participate in this marathon,” says Ponnappa, who was first introduced to golf at the age of 14-15 by her father, who was then serving in the Indian Army. She is also a certified coach and a social activist. Ponnappa’s organisation, the Coorg Wellness Foundation, which was set up in 2014, works towards the development of the people of Kodagu and its eco-system. Along with free education and boarding, they also provide training to join the Army.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / December 10th, 2019
An excerpt from She Dared: Women in Indian sport, a book on the stories of leading women in Indian sport by Abhishek Dubey and Sanjeeb Mukherjea.
The women of the family and society form the fulcrum of many of the rituals related to the weddings in Kodagu (Coorg).The conducive ecosystem for the growth and development of the girl child manifests itself in the personas of the two Ashwinis who hail from this region – Ashwini Nachappa, in the closing decades of twentieth century India, and Ashwini Ponnappa in the opening decades of twenty-first century India.
As Ashwini Nachappa says, ‘The name “Ashwini” means “a female horse”.’ The two mares from Coorg have been brand ambassadors of Indian sports in terms of talent, strength, articulation and finesse. If Ashwini Nachappa galloped to success in athletics, Ashwini Ponnappa has been the stable and consistent force in the Indian badminton story. The two Ashwinis spread across generations give us the trailer of what the daughters of the country can achieve if they get a congenial environment for their growth. We have been through the pages of the sporting journey of India’s Florence Griffith Joyner or Flo-Jo, i.e. Ashwini Nachappa. It’s the turn of Ashwini Ponnappa now.
Born on 18 September 1989 in Coorg, Karnataka, Ashwini Ponnappa has sports flowing in her genes. ‘My dad M.A. Ponnappa was a hockey player. We have uncles who were hockey players and relatives who were into athletics and cricket. So, yes, we do belong to a sporty family. This has helped in my career as well. Dad was pretty fit and helped me with my physical fitness during tournaments, and in the off season when we didn’t have any training. Mum helped me with my diet and made sure that I ate right. More importantly, she helped me in keeping calm. The most important aspect is that they were with me always, irrespective of what happened in the match, and encouraged me to follow my dream of playing badminton and doing really well,’ says Ashwini.
Sports teaches us many things in life. And this is what one expects from parents who understand the meaning of sports. But did she take up sports as she happened to be from a sports family? ‘More than the sports family itself, I was a hyperactive child, and to keep me busy, my parents put me into sports. One thing followed another. Both my parents were working, and to keep me engaged, they put me in badminton. As is common amongst many of the players, I began with enjoying the game and playing with my parents. Thus, it all started as fun with badminton. Then I started attending coaching sessions. Actually, right next to Dad’s bank, there was a single badminton court which also had a coach. So it was convenient, as Dad used to drop me off there and then pick me up. After this, as this became part of my routine, Dad and mom started taking turns to pick me up and drop me off.’ Ashwini takes us down memory lane. This picking up and dropping off continued in the coming years with a new set ofchallenges. Professional sports demands frequent travel. In the case of a girl child, this becomes critical. For Ashwini Ponnappa, it was more challenging than usual—especially with both of her parents working. Her father used to travel with her for most of the tournaments, as her mother was at home looking after her younger brother who had asthma.
Among other things, what sports teaches us in life is the ability to take both victory and defeat in stride and move ahead. This lesson of sports, if learnt well, helps the best of the sportspersons not to take or put undue pressure. When a sportsperson is able to reach this zone, they perform their best.
Ashwini Ponnappa says, ‘There was no pressure as such from my parents to take up badminton. Most of us start as singles players and it was the same in my case. Gradually, I started moving up through the different age categories. I was runners- up in under-10, but the champion in under-13. Actually, it was from there that things started picking up for me. The state championships was followed by the nationals. I still remember that when I actually beat my partner, there was a change in the way I approached my game.’
Professional sports demand that one peaks as one starts entering the prime of one’s youth. This means forgoing many things that look like a sacrifice in the eyes of others. But for those who take up sports as their passion and a way of life, these are not sacrifices, but the means to achieve their end. Ashwini Ponnappa says, ‘I saw the best of both the worlds—school life and badminton. I was fortunate to have very good teachers in school. It was in the later stages i.e., when studies started getting serious in class VIII, that I started paying all my attention to badminton. And the fact that I was just an average student and more inclined towards badminton made my decision of taking up sports easier.’ And then she goes on to elaborate this further when she says, ‘I do remember my prelims happened when I was busy with my nationals. I fared badly in my prelims, but my teachers were very confident that I would do well in my board exams. They would say, “Don’t worry, you will do well.” My parents also did not put any pressure on me. It was during this time that I put in a lot of effort in my studies and I felt really happy when I did well.’ Ashwini does understand the significance of easing off the pressure during this crucial phase.
She says, ‘I had no pressure. I have seen my peers struggling to get permission to go for tournaments. But contrary to this, I easily used to get my leaves and had the liberty to leave the class early for my training sessions. For instance, my school closed at 3:30 pm, but I was allowed to leave at 2:30 pm. so that I could get an hour extra for my practice.’ Sports teaches us to be multitaskers in the formative years of our life. ‘At a young age, you learn how to juggle between your studies and sports, and I think this toughens you,’ she says. What was the regimen that gave her the initial rigorous training in multitasking?
‘My daily routine then was quite different because I had to manage both, my school, and then my college, along with training. Luckily, I had wonderful principals both in school and college. I was given permission to take off early from college to train. So my daily routine was waking up and starting my day with physical fitness exercises at the ground at around 6 am, then rush home to get ready for school which started at 8:30 am ‘Then I would leave school at around 2:30 pm for practice, even though school got over at 3:30 pm. I would finish practice and head back home at around 6:30 pm. So my entire day was filled with training sessions and practice, along with resting and eating,’ says Ashwini. If youngsters try multitasking as a routine early in life, it helps them in so many other aspects later on in life. One aspect follows another and eventually a beautifully-crafted success story emerges.
Excerpted with permission from She Dared: Women in Indian Sport published by Rupa Publications India. The book is available on Amazon for Rs 242 only.
source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> Book Excerpt / by Abhishek Dubey and Sanjeeb Mukherjea / November 26th, 2019
After pegging the National Flag atop Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia, T.N. Bhavani of Kodagu has one more feather in her cap in being the first Indian woman to have undergone training at the Mount Ruapehu, an acclaimed Stratovolcano in New Zealand.
Bhavani is the daughter of Thekkada Nanjunda (Shambu) and Parvathi (Divya) of Perur village near Napoklu in Kodagu. While studying at Navodaya Vidyalaya, Bhavani joined NCC which paved way to groom her interest in adventure activities.
Having got trained in swimming, horse-riding and mountaineering, Bhavani recently completed a three-month training in skiing at Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand and has been qualified as an International Skiing Instructor and is eligible to undergo advanced training in South Korea.
Mount Ruapehu is a Stratovolcano or a composite Volcano formed by alternate layers of hardened lava and ash.
They are characterised by a very steep profile and periodic explosive emissions. Getting trained in skiing at such mountains is not easy and Bhavani has come out successful in the training in September.
Road to success
Bhavani, having completed her primary education at J.C. School in Srimangala in South Kodagu, finished her secondary education at Jawahar Navodaya School in Galibeedu, Madikeri taluk. She graduated from St. Agnes College, Mangaluru and had worked as an Instructor at Himalaya Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling.
Having attended many NCC camps at school and college, Bhavani had participated in the Republic Day Parade in Delhi in 2016.
She participated in the All India Vayu Sainik Camp held recently in Jodhpur, Rajasthan and won accolades from NCC Director General Lt. Gen. Anirudh Chakravarthy, Karnataka-Goa NCC Deputy Director General Air Commander C. Rajiv and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah.
She got trained in mountaineering at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali and Himalaya Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling. She underwent skiing training in Gulmarg, Kashmir and further in New Zealand.
Bhavani is acclaimed as the first woman to successfully complete the tough First Grade Training at Himalaya Mountaineering Institute climbing tough peaks like Friendship in Manali and others in Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Leh.
She reached the top of Mount Elbrus in 2018 after climbing for 8 hours continuously and was adjudged the first to reach the peak among four mountaineers from various countries.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / November 11th, 2019
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