To represent India at World Skills-2015 competitions at Brazil in August
Mysuru :
Tulsi Ponnappa (Biddatanda), a student of Bachelor of Culinary Arts, WGSHA, Manipal, was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the World Youth Skills Day ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi on July 15, for receiving Silver medal at Oceana- 2015, New Zealand.
Tulsi was selected by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) in the course of taking part and winning Inter-college, Zonal and National competitions and is being monitored and trained under the aegis of NSDC. She was a part of the contingent that represented India at Oceana-2015 at New Zealand in the Patisserie and Confectionary Category.
She now will continue to train under one of the top Patisserie Chefs at Oberoi Trident, Mumbai and will head to Sao Paulo, Brazil, in August for the World Skills 2015 competitions to represent India again. Tulsi did her schooling at Delhi Public School, Doha and undergraduate studies at St. Aloysious, Mangaluru, before joining WGSHA Manipal, to obtain her Culinary Arts Degree.
She is the daughter of Biddatanda Ashok and Bhavya Ponnappa and grand-daughter of retired Principal Biddatanda Ponnappa and Kamalu Ponnappa of Napoklu, Kodagu and late Machianda Thammayya and Shashi Thammaya.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Friday – July 17th, 2015
All the winners from the 63rd National Squash Championship in Kerala
Saurav was the more experienced when it came to crunch moments
Time was not ripe for the old order to change. This much was clear after the senior national proceedings at the squash’s brand new venue in India, the Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Two senior pros Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa helped themselves to one more title each. Saurav’s tenth title meant he had equalled Narpat Singh’s tally to be joint number one in terms of titles won in the history of squash in India while Joshna is three titles away from beating Bhuvaneswari Kumari’s record of 16.
Having said that, it must be mentioned that the two seniors must be wondering if the journey ahead would be just as kind to them. Keen observers of the sport still believe that the days of the two remaining at helm are not over yet, based on the way things panned out in Thiruvananthapuram. But it must be said both Harinder Pal Sandhu and Harshit Kaur, two respective runners up made deep impressions on the two winners.
The only difference was the factor ‘experience’. True, Harinder had beaten Saurav in Mumbai for his maiden title in what was part of the winning streak the young Sardar had gone through in 2014. Much has been written on those historic moments of which he was part of but when it came to the crux as it did this time, Harinder showed he still needed to fine tune certain aspects of his approach to rightfully renew the lease on the national title.
Harinder threw away the advantage
He fell just when it seemed he had Saurav at his mercy. Leading two games to nil and then conceding a game and still gaining a 6-2 lead in the fourth game, the Chennai lad appeared to get that dream touch. “His aggression and his ability to score winners not to mention his speedy movements, everything made it look as though there was little to choose between him and Saurav,” said national coach Cyrus Poncha without hiding his happiness over his ward’s wonderful progress in his career.
And yet Harinder forgot the cardinal principle in a sporting tussle that a win or loss is decided only after the last point is played. Experience was the key and a hardened pro now, Saurav has been through tough battles to know that all he needed was a single opening. Sure enough he found it to unsettle Harinder and the rest is now history.
Young players are coming through
Saurav admitted after the match that he thought Harinder played far better than what he did in Mumbai last year. And that adds to the poignancy for Harinder. Not so dramatic though was the women’s encounter but Joshna obviously had not bargained for the tough fight that junior champion Harshit produced, even if briefly. But those brief moments brought to fore the possibilities ahead as this Delhi player, who has shifted to Chennai to train at the ISA, is bound to gallop in confidence and experience.
Joshna may still have the ammunition required to keep her single-minded goal intact but one thing is sure with the bubbling enthusiasm building around, it could be a demanding task ahead. What impressed many in this year’s national championship was the way some of the players waiting to make a breakthrough in the senior ranks exhibited their talent.
Velavan Senthilkumar was one and Vijaykumar was another. The left handed Velavan, a product of ISA, is a cool but sound player with strong basics. What came to fore was the way he played to situations, like the way he wore down senior Sandeep Jangra in a show of complete control. Vijaykumar similarly outclassed Gaurav Nandrajog, once a strong force at the national level.
Both these young players have given sufficient indications of having come of age and that is good news for Indian squash. Add to that the continuing rise of Kush Kumar, who has the will to fight and does so admirably. In Thiruvananthapuram, Kush grabbed a game off Saurav in the semi-final and this is the first time he is achieving that against a senior professional.
There is more to come from this young man who like in his junior days, is keen to take on a dominant role and maybe he would not need to wait too long. In a way then the sport is now flux with good talents who, and that is significant, will serve the country long. They are young, eager and have come up through a tough competitive programme. The results of this has begun to show and Thiruvananthapuram was but just the beginning.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> Squash> National Championship – Squash / by Sharikal Raman / July 22nd, 2015
GEARING UP: Tintu Luka (left) and M.R. Poovamma warm up during a practice session on the eve of the 55th National inter-State athletic meet on Thursday. Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu
To pick walkers for the Worlds would be the most difficult task for selectors
The moment M.R. Poovamma and Tintu Luka came together to exchange pleasantries, the national media was quick to seize the opportunity to capture it. The two, who were part of the 4x400m relay women’s team which won a historic gold in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, posed for photographs to whet the media’s appetite.
For Poovamma and Tintu — the Senior National inter-State athletics meet beginning on Friday which is touted as the final opportunity for aspirants wishing to make the cut for the upcoming World championships in Beijing from August 22 to 30 — it will not be make or break event as they have sets their eyes on the 2016 Rio Olympics. While Poovamma hasn’t yet qualified for the worlds in 400m, Tintu (800m) has already booked a ticket to Beijing.
“My focus is on Rio, and I am concentrating completely on that,” said the 25-year-old from Karnataka. “I am getting better with every race. I am fit and ready.” Tintu echoed Poovamma’s statements.
Tamil Nadu’s Arokia Rajiv, a bronze medallist in the 400m event at the 2014 Asian Games, is keen to put his best foot forward. He, too like others, is not looking at the Worlds, but Rio. “It’s a long travel, and I will have time to prepare to my full potential for Rio,” he said.
It is not sure if the shot putter Inderjeet Singh of Haryana, who won gold in the Asian championship in Wuhan, China, will be able to make it on time for the National meet.
Kerala’s Jinson Johnson, won silver in 800m in the Asian championship and bagged gold in three back to back Asian Grand Prix in Thailand, will be the one to watch out for. The 24-year-old admitted he is tired after participating in Asian championship and three Grand Prix. “June has been hectic and tiring, but I am confident of doing well here,” he said.
To pick walkers for the Worlds would be the most difficult task for selectors as 13 of them have already made the cut. “The best three would be picked,” said C.K. Valson, Secretary, Athletics Federation of India. “We’ll have to see how many does well there, and fitness also matters.”
W.I. Davaram, President, Tamil Nadu Athletics Association, said he wasn’t sure till the last minute that the meet would be held at the Nehru Stadium. “Till three days back, we were really worried whether he would host it in the main stadium and whether we would be able pull it off at the Nehru ‘B’ practice ground.”
Now that the meet is finally on, the focus will be entirely on the athletes.
source:http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by K. Keerthivasan / Chennai – July 10th, 2015
Two games up and again 6-2 in the fourth game, defending champion Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu seemed to have got into the groove for another tilt at the title, but the wily Ghosal came up with an outstanding fight back and pushed the match into the decisive fifth which he won comfortably for his 10th national title.
Saurav Ghosal regained the men’s title while Joshna Chinappa took the women’s crown in the 63rd Senior National Squash Championship here on Sunday.
Two games up and again 6-2 in the fourth game, defending champion Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu seemed to have got into the groove for another tilt at the title, but the wily Ghosal came up with an outstanding fight back and pushed the match into the decisive fifth which he won comfortably for his 10th national title.
The women’s final too was well contested though the score line would not suggest that. Chinappa showed experience mattered while dousing the challenge of national junior champion Harshit Kaur Jawanda in three games.
It was Chinappa’s 14th national title as she is well on way to reach that magical number of 16, which is the number of titles that Bhuveneswari Kumari had won for a record total.
The Kodava community keeps its pride in hockey alive through an annual tournament
Long ago hockey was considered as the alpha game of the country. With India’s domination at the world stage coming to an end one can only reminisce about the times when the world watched our players in awe. So when Sandhya Kumar’s Hockey In My Blood in English and Kodava-takk (with English sub-titles) was screened last week at India International Centre, one was curious to know how much of hockey is left in our connective tissue.
The 52-minute film is about hockey in Coorg narrated through the story of Kodava Hockey Festival (KHF), the world’s largest hockey tournament played between the families there. The subject was suggested to the director by a Kodava acquaintance. “The theme of how such a big hockey event was being organised, especially in the midst of all the cricket mania, caught my interest,” reveals Sandhya. Attending a friend’s wedding in Coorg she was fascinated by the Kodava customs, traditions and the role of the family and elders even in the ceremony. “The decision to make the film was quite impulsive after that,” she explains. Incidentally, considered as one of India’s hockey nurseries, Coorg has sent over 50 players to the national team.
Hosted by one family every year it sees players from over 200 families belonging to the martial-tribal community Kodava come together to play. There is no bar on age or gender and the only rule applicable for forming the team is that all the members must be from the same family. Hence, you watch young boys and girls, fathers, uncles, mothers, professionals and even former Olympic heroes, wielding the stick. Sandhya says her intention was to find an answer or rather portray an answer as to what made all these people gather to play the game.
Started in 1997 by Pandanda Kuttappa, who, in the film discloses witnessing the Asian Games in New Delhi, set him thinking of organising a tournament to keep the fire of hockey burning in Coorg as well reignite Kodava family pride by bringing the people together. Viewed as a serious event ever since, there have been instances when players have quit their jobs and missed their examinations to participate.
The film uses the Madanda Hockey Fest-2013 (hosted by Madanda family) in its narrative to highlight the stories of the players, families and the preparations and the matches. “It has converted little boys and girls who were once in the audience into players and players into professionals,” comments Sandhya. A beaming mother discloses in the film that even though initially she was ignorant about the game, she picked it up and feels proud to see her husband and two sons playing.
Acquainting herself about the film’s subject and the people in it, the director took some time to understand the game and learn about the community and the background of the tournament. “One of the biggest challenges for the research of this film was that unlike say a film on national hockey or on Coorg culture, there were no books or scholarly articles analysing the Kodava hockey festival from either a sociological or historical perspective. There were a few newspaper articles covering past tournaments, but most of the information, including how to find characters for the film had to be built only through meetings and more meetings,” says Sandhya.
Assisted by her friend Deepthi Bopaiah, she made multiple trips to Coorg to capture the thinking, preparation and all the work that went into holding the event. She met participating players and their families in Bangalore and Coorg besides visiting junior hockey camps and coffee estates.
Former Olympians A. B. Subbaiah, goal keeper and C.S. Poonacha have been interviewed in the short film with the former fondly recalling days when around 80 people would gather in Coorg grounds to play the game. He says he had to play in the family tournament to inspire young players and encourage hockey in Coorg.
Initially the Kodava community seniors were slightly tentative about the documentary and asked Sandhya to write a letter explaining as to why she was interested and what the film would be about. “But once we met they were very pleased to hear that the film was going to be about family and sport, looking at the hockey tournament and also Kodava society. I think they felt quite proud that they had built something that an outsider like me would find worth making a film on,” she says.
Besides KHF the film brings to fore the culture and some of the prayer rituals of the community while depicting women with differently pleated saris and covered heads and men in black robes, cummerbunds and turbans.
It is heartening to realise through Hockey In My Blood that the Kodavas have not allowed the regret for what hockey used to be to become a lament and have not consigned it to the past. “They still value and enjoy it as a sport of the present times,” remarks Sandhya.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by S. Ravi / July 10th, 2015
Still from “Hockey In My Blood” (India International Centre)
Around April every year, Coorg’s famous tea-plantation fields turn into a hockey ground to host the Kodava Hockey Festival. It is considered the world’s largest hockey tournament that’s played fondly, and as a tradition, between the families of the region. The essence of this unique tournament has been canned in a 52-minute long documentary, “Hockey in my blood,” by Sandhya Kumar. It captures the relationship between the sport, the festival and the people involved – the Kodavas, a martial-tribal community who live in the beautiful Western Ghats in south-western Karnataka.
It all started when 69-year old Pandanda Kuttappa, who was a first division hockey referee, realized the passion for hockey in Kodagu district and also, that the junior hockey players were not getting enough recognition and exposure. In 1997, he organized the first tournament which was also a way to unite the community at one common occasion. In the beginning, there were 60 families, and today the number has gone up to 200. Interestingly, the game has no rules regarding age and gender but all the team members must be from the same family. The Kodava Hockey Festival has given India more than 50 players who have represented it in international tournaments; seven have even represented India in the Olympics. Renowned hockey players B P Govinda, M P Ganesh, M M Somaiya and C S Poonacha are all Kodavas.
“Hockey, once India’s pride, has been on the path of steady decline. From a dead certain Olympic gold medal discipline just a few decades ago, these days the national team struggles to qualify for the major tournaments. Given this scenario, for one region to continue to be so passionate about the game is a story in itself. But how the Kodavas have used the sport as a social glue to keep their community together is uniquely another story,” says the filmmaker.
The film starts with the final match of the 2013 tournament and runs back and forth from turning the rural hinterland into a professional hockey ground, stories of families and team players and different levels of matches. The whole family — from the oldest member to the youngest — practicing hockey in coffee plantations reflects the sentiments attached to the sport. Little Prajwal says that his family team is the best, just like Team Australia in the World Cup! On the other hand, 17-year-old Priya boasts of how she was made the captain the first time she ever played because she was the only girl in the team. “Over three months, the film travels to many parts of Coorg in a quest to understand ‘why hockey’ and ‘what a family tournament means to its people’”. The film also has former Olympians and professional hockey players from Kogadu going down the memory lane reminiscing their days playing on the plantation fields.
Bangalore-based Kumar has been making documentary films since 2007 and received the President’s National Film Award of India for 2013. She has films like “O Friend, This Waiting!” (2012), “Memory of a Light” (2014) and “Light Falling on White Flowers” (2009) to her credit.
-“Hockey in my Blood” was recently screened in Delhi at India International Centre and is scheduled to be screened in Bangalore this evening at Everest Talkies in Fraser Town. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/hockeyinmyblood
Every year, Kodava players from over 200 families come together to play in their own hockey tournament
Vikalp Bengaluru, a forum of documentary filmmakers who regularly screen documentaries from the world over, present Doc@Everest, the Thursday documentary screening at Frazer Town’s famed Everest Talkies.
On July 9, they will screen Hockey in my Blood, a film about hockey in Coorg, told through the story of the Kodava Hockey Festival, the world’s largest hockey tournament played between the families of Coorg in the coffee hills of South India. The 52 minute film is in English and Kodava takk, with English subtitles.
Kodavas, the people of Coorg are a martial-tribal community known for strong ties to land and family. Every year, Kodava players from over 200 families come together to play in their own hockey tournament – The Kodava Hockey Festival. There is no bar on age or gender. The only rule of forming a team is that all members must be from the same family.
Young boys and girls, fathers, uncles, mothers, professionals and even former Olympic heroes – are all players. With the families playing for bragging rights for the rest of the year, victories are hard fought and competition can get heated. At the end of the month-long event, there is just one winning team but many winners – the sport and the sense of community not least among them.
The film be screened on July 9 at 7 p.m. Entry is free and donations welcome.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Events / July 07th, 2015
Ajinkya Rahane will lead a 15-member team for three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20 matches as seniors like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli were rested for the series. India face the hosts in the first ODI on July 10.
India wicketkeeper-batsman Robin Uthappa said on Monday the Zimbabwe tour call-up was an opportunity he was waiting for the last three-four years, adding he would try to utilise the chance to cement his place in the side.
Middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane will lead a 15-member team for three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20 matches as regular skipper Virat Kohli, among other seniors, were rested for the series. India face the hosts in the first ODI on July 10. (I’ve My Own Style of Captaincy: Ajinkya Rahane)
“I am very grateful that finally I will get a whole series to play after playing one or two games in a year. I am looking forward to the tour. This is the opportunity I was waiting for last three to four years. The hard work I have put in has given me positive results now,” Uthappa said here at a press conference. (Binny Determined To Showcase His All-Round Skills)
“I want to make the opportunity I have got. I want to consolidate my place in the squad, as I believe I have a lot to offer for the Indian team.” (Karn Sharma Fractures Finger)
Speaking on the aspect of being a wicketkeeper-batsman he said, “It has been quite an enjoyable journey. Initially it was a bit of a trouble, but as time went I fell in love with it. Once I kept wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Champions League, I thought of taking it as a full time. It came at a perfect time when my batting clicked.”
“I could invest the same time which I did in batting, in the wicket-keeping as well. Today I am enjoying keeping the wickets. It gives us so much of information while you are standing behind the wickets and see what’s going on in the field.”
With the new rules in ODIs coming into play, the 29-year-old said five fielders outside the 30-yard circle wouldn’t matter to him as he would look for runs and try to hit boundaries.
“I don’t think it makes a difference as a batsman as you are looking at the gaps and not at the fielders. But I think from the bowlers perspective it gives them a bit of confidence,” Uthappa concluded.
source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com /NDTV Sports / NDTV Sports> News / by Indo-Asian News Service / Monday – July 06th, 2015
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Indian badminton players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, on winning women’s doubles title in Canada Open.
“Very proud of Ashwini P. and Jwala Gutta for the wonderful victory at the Canada Open. Congratulations to the brilliant sportspersons”, the Prime Minister said.
source: http://www.pmindia.gov.in /PMIndia / Home> News Updates> June 29th, 2015
Ecstatic after winning the Canada Open women’s doubles title with Jwala Gutta, Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa said that consistency has been the key to their success and this victory is a big boost ahead of the prestigious World Championship in August.
File photo of Ashwinin Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta. AFP Photos.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist pair of Ashwini and Jwala defeated the top-seeded Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek 21-19 21-16 to clinch the USD 50,000 Canada Open Grand Prix tournament on June 28.
“It is a fantastic win. We have been playing well and have been consistent. Winning the tournament just before the world championship is a great boost. Naturally, the World Championship in August is the next target for us,” Ashwini told PTI from Calgary.
India’s best doubles pair, Ashwini and Jwala, won as many as four bronze medals last year but a title win has eluded them and Ashwini said it was nice to win a trophy after a long time.
“Jwala and I have done well last year too. We won bronze medals at the ABC, Uber Cup, Asian Games in Incheon and silver at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. We also reached the semifinals at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold and then last week at the US Open. So we have been consistent but we have won a title after a long time. It is great to break the draught,” Ashwini said.
Ashwini and Jwala had taken a break post the London Olympics and this is their first title since their reunion after the 2012 Games.
The duo trained separately for some time but now with the World Championship round the corner, they will once again start training together.
“We have been training separately. I train at the national camp in Bangalore under Yusuf sir or Tom John, while Jwala is with Mohd Arif Sir, but since we have played together so much, we know each other’s game and we gel well at the tournaments. But for the World Championship, Jwala will come to Bangalore and we will be training together,” said Ashwini, who alongwith Jwala won the 2011 World Championship bronze medal.
source:http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost.com / F.Sports> Home> Front Page> Latest News> Sports News / pTI / June 29th, 2015
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