Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

K.C. Ganapathy Is First Kodava Yachtsman To Qualify For Olympics

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Four sailors from India to compete at this year’s Tokyo Olympics

Mysore/Mysuru:

In a historic first for India, four sailors from the country will compete at this year’s Olympics after the pair of Kelappanda Chengappa Ganapathy – Varun Thakkar and Vishnu Saravanan made the cut for Tokyo at the Asian Qualifiers in Oman on Thursday.

This was after Nethra Kumanan became the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics in the laser radial event in the Mussanah Open Championship, which is an Asian Olympic qualifying event, held on Wednesday. It is also the first time that India will compete in three sailing events in the Olympics.

“Yes, history has been scripted. Four Indian sailors have qualified for Olympics to compete in three events. It’s the maximum number of sailors qualified and also in number of events,” Yachting Association of India Joint Secretary General Capt. Jitendra Dixit said.

Chengappa – Thakkar pair finished on top of the points table in the 49er Class. The duo had to finish in the top six in the medal race to make the grade, but the duo finished fourth and first overall to qualify.

“We got the result we wanted. All our hard work has paid off. We are grateful for all the people who supported us. It was a shaky (final) race, but we did it. Now the work starts,” Chengappa and Varun said after their achievement. Vikas Thakkar and Ganapathy had also won the bronze medal in 49er men’s sailing event at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

“I congratulate Indian athletes Nethra Kumanan, K.C. Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar who have qualified for Tokyo Olympic in sailing. I’m particularly proud of the quota of Nethra, who is India’s first-ever female sailor to qualify for the Olympics!” tweeted Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Twenty-six-year-old Ganapathy is the son of Kelappanda late Deepak Chengappa and Reshma Chengappa (from Allaranda family). His mother Reshma runs a furniture business in Chennai and the family is settled there. His grandparents are Kelappanda late Pratap and Padma Prathap. Padma resides at Kolthodu village near Hatur village in South Kodagu.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Padma said that it was a proud moment for India in general and Kodavas in particular as Ganapathy has achieved the distinction of being the first Kodava Yachtsman to qualify for the Olympics.“He has been sailing all through his life and started sailing at the age of six. He won the Under-12 National Championship and has come a long way. I pray for his success every moment and I am confident that he will make India proud,” she said.

In fact, Ganapathy quit school to pursue full-time sailing and won the Asian Games bronze. Later he enrolled himself at an Open School.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Sports / April 10th, 2021

Nellamakkada Wins Anjikeri Naad Hockey Namme

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

Nellamakkada family beat Pardhanda family in the finals at Anjikeri Naad Hockey Namme at Hudhikeri held from April 1 to 5, organised correlating with Trinity College, Vijayanagar, Mysuru, as the main sponsors.

The victorious Nellamakkada team (in yellow jersey) — Aiyappa, Poovanna, Appanna, Likhin, Sachin, Somaiah, Pradhan, Chengappa, Appaiah and Rohan — is seen with Adarsh Chekkera – Physical Education Teacher, Anjikeri Naad, Elizar Milton – Chairman, Trinity College, Shama E. Milton – Secretary, Trinity College, M.N. Akkamma – Academic Advisor, Trinity College, C.P. Thejaswi – Academic Director, Trinity College, Ajjikuttira Prakyath Poonacha – President, Anjikeri Naad Koota, Buttiyanada Chengappa – Hockey Coory Secretary and Chekkera Bopanna, Member – Anjikeri Naad Koota.

A total of 95 teams took part in the tournament.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / April 11th, 2021

Mother Teresa Medical Centre, RO Plant Inaugurated At Sainik School In Kodagu

Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology

Mysore/Mysuru:

Dr. K.B. Cariappa, Director and Dean, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, Madikeri, inaugurated Mother Teresa Medical Centre, school’s medical inspection room at Sainik School in Kodagu on Mar.30 in the presence of Dr. K. Mohan, District Health Officer, Kodagu and Dr. Rupesh, Resident Medical Officer.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest lauded the Sainik School set up and encouraged the cadets to imbibe leadership qualities to join Indian armed forces and strive to transform this vision into reality. 

He also recalled the legendary military leaders like Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Gen. K.S. Thimayya and their military achievements. 

The school medical inspection room with the presence of nursing assistants caters in ensuring health of the cadets. Detailed medical history charts are maintained for individual cadets and an accurate periodical record of height, weight and chest measurements is also maintained. 

CBSE’s latest initiative mandates Health and Physical Education (HPE) subject to all cadets. The school medical inspection room is a repository of cadets’ medical history and a learning centre too. It helps cadets to learn and maintain hygiene, educate the importance of nutritious food and significance of physical exercises. 

Dr. K. Mohan, District Health Officer (DHO), Kodagu, inaugurated Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plant at the school campus.  

Col. G. Kannan, Principal, Priya Kannan, the first lady of the school, Lt. Col. Seema Tripathi, Vice-Principal, Sqn. Ldr. R.K. Dey, Administrative Officer, Sangeeta Dey, Dr. H. Mahesh, School Medical Officer and S. Suryanarayana, Senior Master, staff and cadets were present on the occasion. All safety measures including wearing mask and social distancing were followed during the event. 

Cdt. M.G. Apoorv was the master of ceremony. Cdt. R.  Shashank and Cdt Harsharaj spoke on Mother Teresa’s contribution to humanity and Reverse Osmosis (RO) respectively.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 11th, 2021

Screening Of Kodava Film ‘Usar’ At Mysuru Kodava Samaja

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All

Mysuru:

After successful screening at Madikeri, Murnad, Virajpet, Napoklu Ammathi and Ponnampet, Kodava film ‘Usar’ will be screened at Mysuru Kodava Samaja on Apr. 9, 10 and 11. 

There will be four shows at 11 am, 2.30 pm, 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm on all three days and advanced booking can be done. Tickets are available at the venue also. 

The film has been made under the banner of P&G Creations and the story of the film is based on the lives of youth affected by the drug menace and their family members. The film aims to create awareness in society.

‘Usar’ has been produced by Pasura Ramya Nanaiah and directed by Pratish Poovaiah and Acheyada Gagan Ganapathy. The team decided to produce the film after the success of many short films that went viral, especially those having a good social message. It is a family movie and has three songs. 

For more details on tickets, contact: 98806-00240 or 63601-89482. 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 09th, 2021

‘Brain Glue’ repairs traumatic brain injuries

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Lohitash Karumbaiah, assistant professor in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, led the team that designed and created Brain Glue.

Hydrogel mimics the composition and mechanics of the brain.

For an update to this story, visit Brain Glue, Part 2

Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center have developed Brain Glue, a substance that could one day serve as a treatment for traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs.

The Brain Glue is a hydrogel matrix with a gelatin-like consistency that acts as a scaffolding for transplanted stem cells, which are capable of repairing damaged tissue. With the unique ability to take the shape of the void left in the brain after a severe trauma, the Brain Glue will enable a more natural healing environment for stem cells to colonize and regenerate.

Lohitash Karumbaiah, assistant professor in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, led the team that designed and created Brain Glue. The main difference between Brain Glue and other synthetic hydrogels, according to the team, is the variety of possibilities to trap neural stem cells, improve integration and reduce the likelihood of rejection.

“It’s very common with these invasive injuries that surgeons will actually remove the part of the dead brain leaving behind a cavity or hole,” said Karumbaiah. “The question is, then, can you replace that with something like our Brain Glue, loaded up with compounds native to the brain together with a mix of protective agents that can be incorporated for the best therapeutic outcome.

“The cool thing about this chemistry is that you can take our Brain Glue liquid formulation and then very briefly expose it to long-wave UV light and form a hydrogel in any shape you like,” he said.

Every day, 153 people in the U.S. die from injuries that include TBI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who survive a TBI may live with impaired thinking, memory, movement or sensation. TBIs can also lead to personality and emotional changes.

The new approach is described in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering and a recently awarded abstract from the International Brain Injury Association.

For more than two years now, Karumbaiah has been awarded seed-funding for his collaborative TBI work with Maysam Ghovanloo, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The TBI research was initially funded by the Center for Regenerative Engineering & Medicine, known as REM, a collaborative initiative launched in 2011 between the University of Georgia, Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The REM collaboration is an extension of Karumbaiah’s work to further study neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to self-renew, adapt and compensate for injury and disease. His future studies will focus on how neural networks form and change in response to traumatic insults, and he will investigate the therapeutic use of electrical stimulation to help return loss of function in any given region of the brain.

“Multiple methods are needed in these kinds of studies,” said Karumbaiah. “The Brain Glue is where we make the scaffold, and the neuro-network function is really this other arm — learning how neurons fire and wire together and what this really means in terms of function.”

Steven Stice, director of the Regenerative Bioscience Center, is working with Karumbaiah on a licensed technology for commercialization of the new Brain Glue, which was recently named best abstract at a meeting of the International Brain Injury Association.

Karumbaiah’s work recently attracted a four-year, $1.5 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health.

“Lohitash sets an example for other junior faculty to emulate,” said Stice, GRA Eminent Scholar and D.W. Brooks Professor in CAES. “To be recognized internationally at such an early stage takes great skill and dedication.”

A full version of ACS Biomaterials Science article is available online at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00805

The Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia links researchers and resources collaborating in a wide range of disciplines to develop new cures for devastating diseases that affect animals and people. With its potential restorative powers, regenerative medicine could offer new ways of treating diseases for which there are currently no treatments-including heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and stroke. For more information, see www.rbc.uga.edu.

source: http://www.news.uga.edu / UGA Today / Home> Health & Wellness> Science & Technology / by Charlene Betourney / December 19th, 2017

MLA unhappy about work on Govt Ayurveda Hospital

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology

Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan expressed his dissatisfaction over work on the newly constructed Government Ayurveda and Homeopathy Integrated Hospital, built at a cost of Rs 60 lakh, at B G S Circle in the new taluk centre, Kushalnagar.

He inaugurated the building during a programme organised by Kodagu Zilla Panchayat and the department of Ayush on Monday.

Inspecting the work on the building, Appachu Ranjan vented his ire against the contractor and said that the hospital was not constructed as per the proposed plan.

“The wheelchair ramp meant for specially-abled people and for patients, at the entrance of the hospital, is built unscientifically. The staircase, toilet and bathroom fittings are of poor quality,” the MLA noted and took ZP assistant engineer Fayaz and contractors Mahesh, Prakash and Manjunath to task.

The ramp and the staircases should be set right immediately, he added.

“There is no use of having old fashioned structures. The hospital should have modern facilities,” the MLA said and directed the engineer and contractors to incorporate the necessary changes in the building.

Zilla Panchayat member K P Chandrakala said that the building work was done in a hurry and is not according to the plan. She too pointed out that the ramp and the staircase are unscientific and urged those concerned to demolish the existing ramp and the staircase and build new ones.

The ZP member also demanded action against the engineer and the contractors.

Speaking to the reporters, Appachu Ranjan said that the new hospital building is constructed at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. But, the work is not carried out properly.

The official and the contractors have been taken to task. Directions have been issued in this regard. The hospital is built to cater to the needs of the people in the surrounding villages, he said.

Stating that the second wave of Covid-19 has crept in, he asked the people to be more cautious. Everyone should follow the norms such as wearing masks and following social distancing.

Somwarpet Taluk Panchayat president Pushpa Rajesh, vice president Abhimanyu Kumar, ZP member K R Manjula, Town Panchayat president B Jayavardhan and vice president Surayya Banu were present, among others.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Kushalnagar / April 05th, 2021

Cricketer Robin Uthappa conferred with IIM Kozhikode National Excellence Award

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Kozhikode, Apr 8 (PTI): Cricketer Robin Uthappa was on Thursday presented with the National Excellence award instituted by IIM-Kozhikode for his contribution in the field of cricket.

This is the 3rd edition of the award, presented annually to eminent personalities for their contribution to the world of sports, and to commemorate IIMK”s iconic Calicut Half Marathon which is now into its 12th year.

The event, which is going completely virtual for the first time is scheduled to be held from April 9-11, according to a IIM-K release.

Presenting the award, IIM-K Director Prof. Debashis Chatterjee recounted Uthappa”s contribution to the game of cricket and how he ably carried his team forward by demonstrating resilience, focus and determination – a quality that resonates with the legend of Arjuna.

Traits like Focus, Flexibility and Freedom were the idea behind constituting this national award, he said and recalled the iconic moment when Uthappa tipped his cap and saluted the crowd after hitting the stumps in In India”s famous bowl-out win over arch-rivals Pakistan in 2007 T20 World Cup, as one of the most memorable events in the game of cricket, an IIM-K release said.

Paralympian and Arjuna Awardee Dr Deepa Malik and Babita Kumari Phogat, renowned wrestler are the previous winners of the award, instituted two years ago.

Uthappa expressed gratitude about his debut and relived the days when he shared the stage with cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag among other Indian cricket legends.

Sharing with the IIM-K community the importance of not giving up, especially when the chips are down, he said one should always have self-belief in taking challenges head-on one step at a time, in order to achieve their goals.

Calicut Half Marathon is the largest student-driven marathon organised every year for the past 11 years.

The marathon aims in contributing towards different social issues that can bring a phenomenal change when assimilated together.

It is this belief that the students of IIM Kozhikode wish to encourage and promote through the marathon.

IIM-Kozhikode Calicut Half Marathon in its 12th edition is bringing the theme ”Better Together United Despite Distances,” the release added.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> The News Scroll / PTI / April 08th, 2021

ITF men’s tennis tournament: Niki Poonacha caps dream run with trophy

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Niki Poonacha, who had won the National championship in 2019, beat fourth seed Oliver Crawford of the US 6-3, 7-6 (5) at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Sunday.

Champion Niki Poonacha in the ITF men's tennis tournament in Delhi on Sunday.
Champion Niki Poonacha in the ITF men’s tennis tournament in Delhi on Sunday.

Where there’s a will there is a way. Former national champion Niki Poonacha had a fairy tale finish to his dream run in the $15,000 ITF men’s tennis tournament as he beat fourth seed Oliver Crawford of the US 6-3, 7-6(5) at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Sunday.

“I am very happy with this trophy. I had no expectations coming into the tournament. I had retired in the last tournament in Pune with a wrist injury. My hope was to stay pain free,” said the 25-year-old Niki, after his second victory in the professional tour.

Niki had won his first title as a qualifier in Indonesia in 2018. He won the National championship in 2019. During the pandemic, he had tried to stay fit, training at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bengaluru.

“I haven’t had good results in the last six weeks. Once I started winning here, I kept my focus to one match at a time, playing without any expectations,” said Niki.

He was treated by physio Anand Dubey right through the tournament. Even though the pain had gone away, there was heavy taping on his forearm as a precautionary measure.

Even though Niki served big and stroked with purpose, there was no doubt that Crawford who had won the title last week in Pune, was woefully off colour, quite uncharacteristically, on the important points.

For three weeks in Egypt, followed by the three events in the country in Lucknow, Indore and Pune, Niki had failed to win a match.

Once he settled into his groove with the wins over Nishant Dabas, Filip Bergevi of Sweden and Lorenzo Bocchi of Italy, luck smiled, as his semifinal opponent Dalibor Svrcina of the Czech Republic gave a walkover on medical grounds.

In the final, the twist to the tale came in the ninth game of the second set, when facing three set points at 3-5, 0-40, Niki managed to hold serve with one of his six aces in the match. In the tie-break, Crawford led 4-2 and the only point the American won of the next six, was through a double fault by Niki.

Niki converted all the three break points he forced and saved four of five break points that he faced in the match.

After Zane Khan of the US had won the first two tournaments in the current circuit, and Crawford beat Zane in the final in Indore, it was a welcome sight for the home fans to have an Indian champion in singles.

“I will train for three weeks in the academy and then plan my next series of tournaments’’, said Niki.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / SportStar / Home> Tennis / New Delhi – April 04th, 2021

Kodava Samaja Remembers General K.S. Thimayya

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Marking the 115th birth anniversary of General K.S. Thimayya, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, had organised a simple function at its premises in Vijayanagar 1st Stage here this morning.

Office-bearers of the Samaja offered floral tributes to the portrait of Gen. Thimayya. Samaja President Kekada M. Belliappa, Vice-President Mechanda M. Ponnappa, Secretary Malachira M. Ponnappa, Treasurer Mukkatira B. Jeevan, Joint Secretary Padiyanda Vimala Poonacha and former Presidents of the Samaja were among those present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / March 31st, 2021

‘End Man-Animal Strife In Kodagu Through Policies’

Agriculture, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Records, All

Former President of Coorg Wildlife Society writes to CM and suggests sustainable ways and means

Mysore/Mysuru:

In the wake of increasing man-animal conflict and tiger attacks in Kodagu where at least three human lives have been lost within a span of 15 to 20 days, former President of Coorg Wildlife Society Col. (Retd.) Cheppudira P. Muthanna has written to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa drawing his attention towards how the people are being victimised by mindless destruction of wild habitats in the name of big projects and how wild animals are entering human areas in search of food. 

Keeping in mind the increasing human killing by wild animals including tigers and elephants, Muthanna has suggested the appointment of an Officer on Special Duty in the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests exclusively for Kodagu. This officer must be based in Thithimathi with adequate staff and resources and he must be able to be a link between the Government and the people to solve pressing problems of the district, he stated. 

Sharp-shooters

Secondly, tigers that kill human beings must be hunted down at the earliest to prevent further deaths and the existing regulations should be modified accordingly. “Kodagu has a number of excellent shooters and ten such shooters should be identified and provided with sophisticated telescopic rifles and ammunition. Whenever there is a dangerous situation arising due to tigers or leopards outside the forest habitat, they should be given permission to assist the Forest Department,” Muthanna said and added that local shooters will be more familiar with the terrain and conditions and would be able to defuse a dangerous situation without loss of time and it would save human lives.

According to Muthanna, a major reason for the tiger menace is due to vast areas of the forests covered by invasive species like Lantana Camara and Senna Spectabilis. “Deer and other prey congregate in small patches of forests that are free from weeds and are fit for grazing. This leads to a number of tigers also congregating in the same restricted area and causes the tigers to fight one another. In most such cases one of the tigers will be wounded and forced out of the forest. Therefore sufficient funds are required for eradication of invasive species,” he has suggested. 

Some of the other measures suggested to the CM are, opening up of wildlife corridors from Nagarahole to Brahmagiri area in Kutta region of South Kodagu, establishing an Ecological Territorial Army Unit for Kodagu. “These units comprise mainly of able-bodied ex-servicemen who can join as volunteers and the unit can be utilised for forest land restoration, forest fire mitigation and eradication of invasive species,” he said. 

Destruction and fragmentation of forest habitat is a primary cause of human-animal conflict and there is a need for a policy decision to prevent further destruction of forests due to so-called development projects such as dams, highways, railways, powerlines etc., he added. 

Tourism has done tremendous damage to Kodagu. There should be no further investment in Kodagu for tourism. Tourism in Kodagu should be regulated and not promoted, he wrote. All the proposed project investments in Kodagu must be diverted to improve the economic condition of the people in the district through sustainable living and also to prevent human-animal conflict, he opined. 

“There is a need to protect Kodagu as the principal catchment of River Cauvery and the proposals for multi-lane National Highways, railway lines and airport for Kodagu must be scrapped as none of these projects will benefit Kodagu or its people in any way and will only serve to further destroy the environment and landscape of Kodagu,” he urged the CM. 

Tiger menace: Overnight protests continue

Overnight protests in parts of South Kodagu demanding the capture or shooting of elusive tiger still continues. The protests began five to six days back and residents of Bellur, Thavalageri, Shettigeri and Srimangala are participating in the dharna. They light campfires daily to keep themselves warm. Tents have been pitched by the side of the road for protection from rain. Protesters are upset as despite the Government shoot-at-sight orders and the intervention of MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and M.P. Appachu Ranjan and MLC Veena Achaiah, who came to Bellur recently, the Forest Department has failed to net the tiger. 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 13th, 2021