The National Adventure Foundation (NAF) Karnataka 2 chapter will conduct a three-day adventure camp at Kodagu from April 28 to 30 for children aged 8 to 17.
They will experience parasailing, trekking, and rappelling as well as team-building games. For registration, call 9448354648 or email almanacadventure@yahoo.co.in.
The last date for registration is April 26.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysore, April 18th, 2013
E.R. RAMACHANDRAN writes: At a time when Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) are at each other’s throats and dragging Indian hockey down the drain by filing cases against each other, in an idyllic part of the world 225 hockey-mad families are participating in the biggest tournament of its kind.
The idyll is Coorg.
In the cradle of Karnataka hockey nay Indian hockey, the 17th edition of the inter-family hockey tournament, which has entered the record book, quietly got underway near Virajpet on Sunday. And, despite IPL being on everybody’s lips, the passion for hockey remains high.
Some of the most popular names of Indian hockey, M.P. Ganesh, B.P. Govinda, M.M. Somaiya, Poonacha and Arjun Halappa have come from the hilly, coffee-country. If hockey has to have resurgence, is it time hockey is moved to Kodagu than be a part of Delhi where they play hooky with hockey and are mostly busy with court cases?
Photograph: Members of a visiting Punjab team in a duel with a local Kodava team at the inter-family hockey tournament at Balugodu Kodava cultural centre, near Virajpet in Kodagu district on Sunday (Karnataka Photo News)
source: http://www.churmuri.wordpress.com
The qualification marks for the World Athletics Championships continued to be elusive, but M.R. Poovamma lit up the evening with a fine performance in the women’s 400 metres in the second Asian Grand Prix at the NIS Complex in Patiala on Saturday.
With a battery of technical officials in operation, and manual timings as a back-up, the meet was a smooth affair, even as triple jumper Renjith Maheswary and Om Prakash in shot put improved their performances, in promising a better fare in the Federation Cup to be staged at the same venue after a fortnight.
Returning to competition after a bout of typhoid, the 22-year-old Poovamma clocked 53.59 seconds in outclassing a weak field. Pleased with her strong start for the season despite having trained for a few days only, she expressed confidence about improving her time in the meets ahead.
Having won two titles in the Asian Grand Prix last year, Poovamma felt that better competition would help her improve on her best time of 52.94.
Coach N. Ramesh was also confident that Poovamma would improve quickly and go under the qualification mark of 52.35. Of course, the athletes have the chance to win the Asian championship and become automatic ‘A’ standard qualifiers for the World Championship, but the question mark about the event coming off continued to dangle despite attempts to host it in Jharkhand.
Renjith had only two good jumps but managed to reach 16.78 metres, better than his mark of 16.67 last week. He said that the delayed start, by about an hour on the jumping pit, had spoilt his preparation, and he could not strike any rhythm.
However, that did not stop him from competing in long jump as well, and bagging a bonus bronze.
In shot put, the other Olympian in the fray, Om Prakash won with a throw of 18.65 metres. He had two other throws of 18.19, and 18.54 — better than his last week’s effort of 18.12. However, the qualification mark was a bit away at 20.10.
Arokia Rajiv continued to shine as he won the 400 metres ahead of Kunhu Mohammed and S.K. Mortaja, with an improved time of 47.22 seconds. He also won the silver in the 200 metres, and felt that it had taken a bit of sting away from him for the 400 metres.
Coach Mohd. Kunhu who trains all the three at the Army base in Pune assured that Rajiv would go under 46.5 soon.
With the third Grand Prix having been postponed owing to the Annual General Meeting of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), the athletes will next assemble at the same venue on April 23 for the Federation Cup.
The results: Men: 200m: 1. Bhartinder Singh 21.66; 2. Arokia Rajiv 21.72; 3. Bala Murugan 22.19.
400m: 1. Arokia Rajiv 47.22; 2. Kunhi Mohammed 47.44; 3. S.K. Mortaja 47.69.
800m: 1. Manjit Singh 1:52.55; 2. Pranjal Gogol 1:52.97; 3. Vikash Latyeya 1:53.59.
3000m: 1. Kheta Ram 8:06.33; 2. P. Suresh Kumar 8:06.43; 3. V. L. Dangi 8:18.27.
400m hurdles: 1. Jithin Paul 51.72; 2. Binu Aquito 53.14; 3. Gurinder Singh 59.21.
Long jump: 1. Arshad 7.56; 2. Bhartinder Singh 7.54; 3. Renjith Maheswary 7.27.
Triple jump: 1. Renjith Maheswary 16.78; 2. Arpinder Singh 16.46; 3. Rakesh Babu 15.89.
Shot put: 1. Om Prakash 18.65; 2. Jasdeep Singh 17.95; 3. Satyender Singh 17.50.
Javelin throw: 1. Devender Singh 76.77; 2. Dinesh Kumar 73.44; 3. Samarjit Singh 72.71.
Women: 200m: 1. Asha Roy 24.23; 2. Merlin K. Joseph 24.83; 3. Sini S. 25.13.
400m: 1. M.R. Poovamma 53.59; 2. Anju Thomas 55.27; 3. Saraswati Chan 55.70.
800m: 1. M. Gomathi 2:11.99; 2. Jhuma Khatun 2:12.66; 3. Fulan Khatun 2:16.62.
3000m: 1. O.P. Jaisha 9:37.49; 2. Swati Gadke 10:13.87; 3. Kiran Rani 10:23.36.
Long jump: 1. V. Neena 5.95; 2. Amitha Baby 5.57; 3. Niksy Joseph 5.50.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Athletics / by Kamesh Srinivasan / Patiala, April 07th, 2013
Madanda Cup-2013’, the 17th edition of the annual Kodava Hockey Festival, being organised by the Madanda family, got off to a colourful start at Balugodu near Virajpet in Kodagu on Sunday. The festival is meant exclusively for Kodava families.
The founder of the festival, Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani) hit a silver hockey ball with a silver hockey stick on the field to formally inaugurate the fest on the Kodava Sports and Cultural Centre grounds, amidst applause by a large crowd. As many as 225 Kodava family teams are participating in the 24-day hockey festival.
Earlier, guests and senior members of the Madanda family were brought in a procession from the main entrance of the centre to the grounds. Madanda family members unfurled the family flag while Mr. Kuttappa unfurled the flag of the Kodava Hockey Academy, under whose aegis the festival is being held. Olympian Anjaparavanda B. Subbaiah, who was conferred doctorate by the Mangalore University recently, was felicitated.
President of the Federation of Kodava Samaja, Mallengada N. Belliappa, the chief guest, and appealed to the members of the Kodava community to come up with contributions to help complete the Kodava Sports and Cultural Centre and make it a model for the entire State.
It was estimated to cost Rs. 12 crore. Works to the tune of Rs. 3.5 crore have already been taken up at the centre, which includes contributions from the State government, he said. Donors had contributed Rs. 1.2 crore, Mr. Belliappa said, recalling the help from political leaders in Kodagu for the purpose.
Mr. Kuttappa said the Kodava Hockey Festival was conceived by him and his brother 16 years ago to foster friendship and camaraderie among Kodava families. Besides, cementing relationships among families, the festivals had helped identify hockey talent at the State and the national level, Mr. Kuttappa said.
Jaggaranda M. Appachu, Joint Director, the Department of Youth Services and Sports, spoke. Madanda S. Poovaiah, welcomed.
Students of the Ninada School, artistes from the Cauvery Kodava Koota and Cauvery College, Virajpet, presented cultural shows. An exhibition match held between Punjab XI and Coorg XI ended in a 1-1 draw later.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysore, April 15th, 2013
Virajpet :
The 17th edition of Kodava Families’ Hockey Namme (festival) began at the Balugodu Kodava Cultural, Heritage and Sports Centre near here today, under the aegis of Madanda family.
Kodava Hockey Academy President Pandanda Kuttappa, who founded the Kodava Families’ Hockey Tournament in 1997, inaugurated the fest by pushing the ball with a silver stick. The inaugural match was played between Kodagu XI and Punjab XI, with 1-1 goals tie when we went to Press.
The Madanda Hockey Namme has 225 Kodava family teams participating and the finals will be held on May 12.
Federation of Kodava Samajas President M.N. Belliappa, speaking as the chief guest, recalled that the Kodava Cultural Centre at Balugodu village was the result of a discussion with his friend K.B. Ganapathy, Editor-in-Chief of Star of Mysore, about 13 years ago. “I discussed with my friend Ganapathy about the need to set up a museum-like cultural centre in Kodagu and thanks to the then Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and former Minister M.C. Nanaiah, we could purchase the land in Balugodu,” said Belliappa and added that the government has granted Rs. 2 crore for the project.
Federation of Kodava Samajas Secretary C.K. Kashiyappa, sports person J. Appachu, Olympian Dr. A.B. Subbaiah, Madanda Sports Committee President M.S. Poovaiah, Akhila Kodava Samaja President Mathanda C. Monnappa and others were present.
The Kodava Cultural Centre at Balugodu is a picturesque land of 15 acres located 6 kms from Virajpet town. Various programmes showcasing Kodava culture and heritage will be held at this venue. Cost of the project is estimated at Rs. 12 crore. A huge auditoium-cum hall, with a capacity of 1500 people is under construction. It has a museum where traditional household articles and antiques are displayed.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 14th, 2013
It’s that time of the year when cricket finds a new definition. From ‘city moment of success’ to ‘maximums’, IPL’s ‘bus dekhne ka nahi’ slogan has caught everyone’s imagination and interest, but besides all the razzmatazz, excitement and thrill, for quite a few cricketers this IPL 6 outing is a moment of truth.
Some are seeking redemption, for others it’s a launch pad and for quite a few discards this is another chance of making a comeback into the Indian side. Even though domestic performers are now being rewarded by this new selection committee, consistent scores in front of packed stadiums in the IPL helps the selectors in their decision making.
While there are a number of cricketers that fall under this category, there are three batsmen who find themselves at different crossroads of life – Robin Uthappa, Unmukt Chand and Ambati Rayudu. They’re three brilliant batsmen with extraordinary, smashing talent. First up, I’ll focus on Uthappa.
Cut back to April 2006. A 20-year-old walks out for the very first time to open the innings alongside Rahul Dravid against England in the seventh ODI at Indore. By the time he walked back to the pavilion, Uthappa’s 86 runs underlined his impact in the middle. Twelve fours and a six in his 96-ball knock was an indication that runs flew from his bat, much like how time has flown in the last seven years for one of Indian cricket’s impact players.
Uthappa made his Twenty20 international debut in 2007, played eight games that year, then one-off game in 2008, 2011 and 2012. Such has been his story. While almost all cricketers from the 2007 ICC World Twenty20-winning squad have had consistent opportunities since then – Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla and Dinesk Karthik to name a few, only Uthappa has been ignored with alarming consistency. Uthappa has been denied a tremendous amount of cricket in the last seven years ever since his debut in 2006. At 21, he won the World Twenty20 and at 27 he has only played a handful games for India – 38 ODIs in addition to 11 T20Is.
At a juncture when Indian cricket is showing faith in performing and under-performing youngsters, Uthappa rightfully deserves a long call into the Indian limited-overs set up. There came a time in his career, when his flexible, unconditional and versatile batting approach meant he would become a floater in the Indian batting line-up. He made his debut as an opener in his first ODI and would bat at No. 7 in his last ODI for India in July 2008. Between this period, he featured in all batting positions, from one to seven, only for him to realise he had failed to slot himself into a designated role that he would have like to fulfill for India. Not surprisingly, the 27-year-old by his own admission is now a designated opener and a tidy wicketkeeper, an option India can always bank upon.
Uthappa’s promising start combined with his selfless and unconditional approach needed to be nurtured; however, selection policies in India often come without any warning and his exclusion from the side meant the right-hander hasn’t featured in an ODI in close to five years. He has had to struggle throughout his journey in the Indian cricket set-up and in IPL 6 he may just find opportunity in adversity. Time has come for the selectors to keep a watch on this young man who lost out on his peak time on. If Rohit and Ishant Sharma can be persisted with despite average performances, why not show more faith in India’s World Twenty20 winner?
Talent banks on nurturing and opportunity. While Uthappa has been fortunate to find the right tutoring, training and teachings since his formative years, the opportunities have eluded the hard-working cricketer. His impact in the middle remains his biggest strength as a batsman. It’s not just the runs he gets, but the rate at which he gets them. Without drawing any comparisons, his approach is much similar to Virender Sehwag. It’s about scoring quickly only to ensure the strike rate compliments their healthy average.
Continuous effort is the key to unlocking potential and Uthappa’s hard yards in the middle is an indication of his preparation. Thanks to the IPL, this Indian discard is not a forgotten hero. Even though his performance reminds the cricket fan of his belligerence in his batting, it has unfortunately failed to ring the door bells of the selectors.
Uthappa’s IPL innings has helped the batsman realise his strength, understand his potential and evolve as a cricketer. His desperation is likely to translate into runs. While representing Royal Challengers Bangalore, he was able to make a great impact but sadly, ever since he has been with Pune Warriors, his constant shuffling in the batting order has meant he has been without a defined role.
Uthappa will be aware of the importance that IPL 6 holds for him. This isn’t his last chance but clearly this is his best chance. Thanks to the IPL, Indian cricket has reached a phase of unparalleled competitive balance and every season produces quite a few finds, reason enough for most of the discards to impress with their consistency. Uthappa finds himself in make or remake situation.
He may not have set the stage on fire this season in the domestic circuit, but he has produced some decent performances. He finished with 683 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games with five fifties and one hundred at an average of 45.53. More importantly, his seven games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy fetched him 445 runs, which included two centuries and two fifties at an average of 63.57. In the process he topped the run-getters’ list as well this season.
Time has come for the selectors to keep a watch on a batsman who has consistently translated his talent into runs. Uthappa remains an asset and his result-oriented and effective batting style can turn into a match-winning option for the Indian cricket team.
source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / Home> Cricketnext> Blogs / by Mikkhail Vaswani / Tuesday, April 02nd, 2013
Punjab XI and Kodagu XI to play first match
Virajpet :
Fixtures for the Madanda Cup Kodava Families Hockey Festival, 17th in the series, to be held in Balugodu village near here from Apr. 14 onwards, was formally released yesterday by the Madanda Family Sports Committee Conveners Thimmaiah and Sudhir Ganapathy.
After the inaugural match between Punjab XI and Kodagu XI on Apr. 14, six matches will be played on each of the two grounds per day; with 225 Kodava family teams vying for the trophy, said Thimmaiah.
“Quarter-final matches will be played from May 10 and the final match will be on May 12 at 10 am. Various cultural programmes will be held at Kodava Cultural Centre, located close to the tournament venue,” he said.
“The State Government has released Rs. 25 lakh for the grand event and another Rs. 5 lakh is expected,” said Thimmaiah, adding that KSRTC buses will be arranged from Virajpet town to Balugodu, to ferry hockey-lovers. Buses from Bittangala junction will also be provided.
Meanwhile, the Thathanda family members have urged the Kodava Academy to accord them the honour of hosting the 18th Kodava Families Hockey Festival 2014.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / April 05th, 2013
Shell Advance Freedom Riders Asia sees Charley Boorman on a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 in India. Charley Boorman toured India on a Royal Enfield travelling through Coorg, Ooty and Munnar.
Shell Advance along with Star Sports will be airing a bike series known as Freedom Riders Asia which will be hosted by avid bike enthusiast Charley Boorman. This six- part series will see Charley Boorman explore biking cultures in six Asian countries namely: India, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Through these series Shell will showcase how their range of motor oils for two stroke and four stroke vehicles are beneficial in maintaining bikes. The series will also aim to connect riders from these countries and enhance the passion showcased by those taking part in adventure activities. Through these series Charley will not only delve into the biking culture of a respective country but will also take time to engage with the local population and enjoy the culture.
Charley Boorman toured India on a Royal Enfield travelling through Coorg, Ooty and Munnar. He was kept company by avid bike enthusiast Sundeep Gajjar (aka MotoGrapher). Sundeep Gajjar rode a Ducati Multistrada, and Charley took the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 for a ride.The road trip ended at Kochi where he was joined for a press conference Gul Panag and Mr. Kar Tai Koh, the global brand manager of Shell Advance. Freedom Riders Asia will be broadcast on leading sports channel STAR Sports and will be promoted across FOX internationals channels in Asia like Nat Geo, FOX and FX.
Shell Lubricants India Managing Direction Nitin Prasad said: “Freedom Riders Asia is all about celebrating and connecting bikers around Asia, while offering an entertaining travel and adventure experience to a wider audience. Importantly, through Charley, it is also a further expression of what Shell Advancestands for – enabling bikers to enjoy every ride and experience freedom through effortless mobility on the road.”
Simeon Dawes, Senior Vice President of Fox One Stop Media said, “Freedom Riders Asia is being developed specifically for the Asian audience as Asia has a growing population of adventure and travel enthusiasts. We are confident that audiences will appreciate and enjoy the places and activities that Charley will visit and experience, especially due to the local colours and flavours showcased.” “We are delighted that Shell Advance has collaborated closely with usto produce this programme with an innovative show concept aimed at further engaging with the audiences on a deeper level.”
Charley Boorman, host of Freedom Riders Asia said, “Bikes have always been my passion, and I’ve always loved Asia and its diversity. What’s fantastic about Freedom Riders Asia is that the programme is enabling these passions to collide and I’m really looking forward to embarking on the bike trip of a lifetime”. “I’m going to be meeting great local biker groups who will teach me a thing or two about riding in their part of the world and I cannot to wait to get over to Asia to feel the sun on my face, and feeling of freedom on the back of a motorbike!”
Talking about his India experience in the conference, Mr Charley Boorman said “It was an experience of a lifetime to ride through the scenic Coorg –Munnar route, which undoubtedly is an ultimate riding wonder. I also had a great time experiencing the local biking culture, chatting to the local people, learning about different traditions and performing some very interesting challenges. All in all, a great experience and I would love to come back to India.”
Mr. Kar Tai Koh, Global Brand Manager of Shell Advance said, “Freedom Riders Asia as a programme celebrates the spirit of biking across Asia, while at the same time, offers an entertaining travel and adventure experience. Through Charley, it is also a further expression of what Shell Advance stands for – enabling bikers to enjoy every ride and experience freedom through effortless mobility on the road. We chose Charley to represent the programme as we believe he is one of the most suited people around, being a true biker at heart and a familiar face that bikers in this part of the world can resonate with.”
Gul Panag, the much celebrated Indian actor who accompanied Charley for the Press Conference and co-hosted the Indian chapter of the show with him, too was happy with the show. She has been an avid bike enthusiast and had earlier made news during her marriage as her groom’s procession came on bikes. She said, “It is a wonderful format and the entire show is a complete package of adventure and thrill. Being a biker myself and understanding the biking community at large, I am really hopeful that the show would instantly establish connect with the audience. Charley has been a fantastic host and a true biker.”
source: http://www.rushlane.com / Rush Lane Daily News / Home> Shell Advance.. / by Nabanita Singha Roy / April 06th, 2013
Two people the Bangalore crowd would have loved to see in action in the ongoing Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group I play-off tie against Indonesia were in the stands on Friday – Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna.
Not picked by the All India Tennis Federation, the duo, however, chose to cheer Somdev Devvarman and Co from the stands.
“Just to have Davis Cup here after 28 years is special for the State,” Bopanna told reporters. “It does a lot for tennis here. You know, it’s good that we have such a big event here. I’m happy that I was in town, and could watch the boys play.”
“If you are part of the Davis Cup for the last 10 years, you’re going to miss being part of the team. Sure to say, I would have loved to play this one. I met the entire team just now, but I met Som(dev) and Sanam (Singh) earlier in the week. We had a round of golf.”
Two days ago, Bopanna decided to renew his partnership with Bhupathi for the season ahead, choosing to call off the three-month association with Rajeev Ram. “The thought came up suddenly. Till the Miami Masters I was with Rajeev. Since Rajeev’s ranking is 48, and cut off at Monte Carlo is 49 (combined ranking), there’s no way we could get in. I had to either find a different partner for every week in Masters’ events and play with Rajeev only in the Grand Slams.
“It so happened that (Daniel) Nestor was playing with Robert (Lindstedt) and Mahesh was looking for a partner. We had done well last year, so it was easy to make the choice. We plan to play the entire season,” added Bopanna.
source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Sports / DHNS, Bangalore / April 06th, 2013
Ashwini Ponnappa talks about her partners and the invaluable international exposure in recent times.
Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta formed the second half of India’s formidable women’s doubles’ pair. Now that the two have gone separate ways, it’s important for Ashwini to play the role that Jwala did when they were together. Before combining in the Olympics last year for the final time, the twosome had won the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold and 2011 World Championships bronze.
Ashwini said, “I would not like to talk about it (split) much as we are not playing together anymore. We have spoken with each other and that’s what really matters. The last three years with Jwala have been wonderful. I’ve learnt a lot from her, I’m thankful for that.”
The 23-year-old soft-spoken Ashwini is settling down with new partners, Pradnya Gadre in women’s doubles and Tarun Kona in mixed. “Pradnya and I have not played a lot together. She does not have Jwala’s experience but she will definitely get there. We combine very well — she at the net, me at the back. I’ve a bit more experience than Pradnya. We are just about a year apart in age. I enjoy the partnership with her,” she said.
Ashwini and Kona came together in June 2012. Though the results in international tournaments have not been spectacular, Ashwini feels the exposure was invaluable. Ashwini and Kona benefited most from being part of the Asian All-Star team that made the semifinals of the Axiata Cup, the richest team championship event with a prize money of $1million. The semifinals and final will be played in Kuala Lumpur on April 13-14. The prelims were held from March 21 to 31 in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Ashwini said, “Tarun and I were selected as mixed-doubles pair for the Asian All-Star team. It has been a really good experience. To be part of a team with top-class players in the form of Chinese Bao Chunlai and Zheng Bo, Korean Lee Huin, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tsu Ying and Hong Kong’s Yip Yui Yin was a different experience. We got to interact with them. Otherwise, normally in tournaments, you do not get to interact with them. They supported us really well.”
Ashwini believed the experience playing against players from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Europe and Philippines could only take her partnership with Kona forward. “It is a great opportunity to get more matches. We can get better at mixed doubles. We got to play top doubles’ pairs. We learned from our mistakes and got better in the subsequent games.”
Ashwini and Gadre lost in the qualifying rounds of the women’s doubles in last month’s All England Championships. In the mixed doubles, the Ashwini-Kona duo exited in the first round. “All England was not too great. I had an elbow problem,” Ashwini said. After the Axiata Cup semifinals and finals, Ashwini will head to Chinese Taipei for the Badminton Asia Championships (April 16-21) and then to New Delhi for the Yonex Sunrise India Open (April 23-28).
“Getting to the quarterfinals and semifinals and doing better than that in these tournaments would be the aim. I want to take each tournament as it comes. The CWG in 2014 is also something we are looking forward to,” she added.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Sport> Interview / Place:Mumbai, Agency:DNA / by G. Krishnan / Friday, April 05th, 2013
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