Monthly Archives: January 2016

T20: Robin Uthappa powers Karnataka to victory

Cuttack :

Opener Robin Uthappa and Stuart Binny made short work of a modest chase to add to the team’s bowling effort as Karnataka outplayed Odisha by six wickets in the Group D Twenty20 match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here today.

If medium-pacer Abhimanyu Mithun and leg-spinners Shreyas Gopal and KC Cariappa, sharing two wickets each, set up the win for Karnataka then the 53-run fourth-wicket partnership between Uthappa (48) and Binny (32 not out) helped the R Vinay Kumar-led side achieve the target in 17.5 overs.

A file picture of Robin Uthappa
A file picture of Robin Uthappa

Uthappa smashed six fours and a six in his 41-ball stay, while Binny’s 30-ball knock was laced with two fours and a six.

Leg-spinner Tukuna Sahoo bagged two wickets, while Deepak Behera and Basant Mohanty picked up a wicket each.

Earlier put into bat, Odisha suffered from lack of partnerships against a disciplined Karnataka attack to stumble to 102 for seven in 20 overs. Abhishek Yadav top-scored with 31 runs as the rest of the batting disappointed.

Brief Scores: Odisha 102/7 in 20 overs (Abhishek Yadav 31, Biplab Samantray 19; Abhimanyu Mithun 2-13, Shreyas Gopal 2-15, KC Cariappa 2-14) Karnataka 106/4 in 17.5 overs (Robin Uthappa 48, Stuart Binny 32 not out; Tukuna Sahoo 2-17)

Points: Karnataka 4, Odisha 0.

PTI

source: http://www.oneindia.com / One India / Home> News> Sports> Cricket / by PTI / Saturday – January 09th, 2016

Virajpet post office gets rail booking system

The South Western Railway has commissioned Computerised Advanced Reservation System at Virajpet post office at Virajpet in Kodagu district.

This is the 10th India Post Computerised Advanced Reservation Centre (PRS) in Mysuru division.

Working hours

The facility in South Coorg will benefit those in surrounding areas like Gonikoppal, Ammathi, Ponnampet and others, said K. Anil Kumar, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager.

The working hours of the PRS will be from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. except on Sundays and general holidays. All transactions including tatkal bookings will be undertaken here.

In addition to normal charges, the following commission is payable per ticket: sleeper and II sitting – Rs.15; 3AC and AC chair car – Rs. 20 and other upper classes – Rs. 30, a release said.

For cancellation of reservations, in addition to normal cancellation charges, a commission of Rs. 10 per ticket will be levied.

Rajkumar Lal, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Mysuru, said this facility would be very useful for people of South Coorg.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – January 13th, 2016

NMPT conducts trade meet with coffee exporters in Kodagu

Mangaluru:

New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) conducted a trade meet with coffee exporters and logistics providers from Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Chikmagalur, and Hassan regions at Kushalnagar recently.

A press release by NMPT said here on Tuesday the initiative was taken to facilitate a face-to-face interaction between coffee exporters, custom house agents, mainline vessel operators, logistic providers, and the port trust.

PC Parida, NMPT Chairman, said coffee exporters from Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Chikmagalur, and Hassan regions exported around 1.59 lakh tonnes of coffee in 2014-15 from NMPT.

The growing frequency of container vessels calling at the port, coupled with improved road connectivity and infrastructure at the port, had helped the port achieve the export performance. He hoped the trend would continue in the current fiscal also.

Suresh P Shirwadkar, Deputy Chairman, and Nownith Kumar, Senior Deputy Traffic Manager, spoke on the occasion.

The release said coffee exporters assured that they would route their consignments through New Mangalore Port.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Economy> Logistics / The Hindu Bureau / Mangaluru -January 12th, 2016

Museum’s brew of history and mystery

Could this be the great-grandfather of Dunedin’s coffee culture?

Fished out of a landfill and rescued by Gasworks Museum volunteers, the La Pavoni Italian espresso machine may be the first imported into Dunedin.

It was understood the machine was used in George St’s Little Hut coffee bar, one of Dunedin’s first cafes, Gasworks Museum Trust board member Ann Barsby said yesterday.

It had been rescued and transferred to the museum ‘‘several years ago” but was only recently put on display. She hoped the machine could be restored, though ‘‘several” thousands of dollars could be needed.

‘‘I’m told by the Gasworks volunteers the boiler is what needs repairing, which is a complicated and expensive job.”The trust did not have the funds to carry out those repairs, though they did have the time and expertise, she said.

Mrs Barsby said she hoped the public – and perhaps Dunedin’s coffee companies – could be coaxed into contributing.

‘‘It would be splendid because it would be great if we could produce coffee using the original authentic machine.”

Mrs Barsby was interested to hear from anyone who had information on the machine’s provenance, or who was willing to contribute to fixing it.

– craig.borley@odt.co.nz
source: http://www.odt.co.nz / Otago Daily Times / Home> News> Dunedin / by Craig Borley / Friday – January 08th, 2016

Hollande to witness coffee making in State’s tableau

A miniature of the State’s tableau on the theme ‘Kodagu: the coffee heaven of Karnataka’ for the Republic Day parade. The French President, Francois Hollande, will be the chief guest at this year’s parade.
A miniature of the State’s tableau on the theme ‘Kodagu: the coffee heaven of Karnataka’ for the Republic Day parade. The French President, Francois Hollande, will be the chief guest at this year’s parade.

The French President will be the chief guest at this year’s R-Day parade

French President Francois Hollande, who will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, will witness the various stages of coffee making in Karnataka’s tableau.

The State’s tableau this year is on the theme: Kodagu: the coffee heaven of Karnataka. It will depict various stages in the making of coffee, starting from women plucking the beans to processing them and the processed powder being finally turned into the aromatic brew. The tableau depicts Kodava women, wearing their distinctive dress, performing their traditional dance.

Folklorist H.L. Nage Gowda’s book Bettadinda Battalige (From the hills to the cup), on the coffee’s origin, is the basis for the tableau.

Shashidhara Adapa, who designed the tableau, said the work on it has commenced both in Bengaluru and New Delhi. Two sets of artists are working on creating sculptures and fabricating the tableau. “Steam emanating from a cup of coffee will be visible to the audience,” he said. The signature music will be by Praveen D. Rao.

It is for the sixth consecutive time that Karnataka is participating in the parade. Back in 2005, its tableau on the theme of Gomateshwara had bagged the first prize. In the subsequent years, the State showcased Mysuru Dasara, followed by Hoysala and Pattadkal architecture.

themesKF10jan2016

According to N. Vishu Kumar, Director of the Department of Information, the selection process is rigorous. “Only the best are chosen,” he said. Getting an opportunity to represent the State at the parade is an achievement in itself, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / Muralidhara Khajane / Bengaluru – January 09th, 2016

Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament for Kodavas on Jan. 15

Mysuru :

Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club, Vijayanagar 1st Stage in city has organised Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament for Kodavas in Mysuru on Jan. 15 from 9 am at Mahajana College Sports Ground in Jayalakshmipuram and at the Railway Ground, adjacent to the Railway Museum on KRS Road in city. The tournament will be inaugurated at 9 am at Mahajana College Sports Ground.

An exhibition match by the senior members (above 60 years) of the Club will be held on the same day at 3.30 pm in Mahajana College Ground. Interested senior members may contact Club’s Hon. Secretary K. D. Muthappa before Jan. 10

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / January 09th, 2015

Coffee Board Confers Export Awards

Students of PG Diploma in Coffee Quality Management during the India Coffee Awards Ceremony in Bengaluru on Thursday | NAGARAJA GADEKAL
Students of PG Diploma in Coffee Quality Management during the India Coffee Awards Ceremony in Bengaluru on Thursday | NAGARAJA GADEKAL

Bengaluru :

The Coffee Board on Thursday conferred the Best Coffee Exporters’ Awards to the best exporters of green coffee, specialty coffee, instant coffee and roasted coffee.

Coffee Board chairperson Leena Nair said the since 1999-2000, the board has been presenting the awards to motivate, encourage and maximise export performances, especially to key destinations.

Indian coffee exports have been good over the past few years, touching three lakh metric tonnes annually. Of the 538 exporters, 128, who actively exported coffee during 2013-14, were judged by a jury for the awards.

Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav, who was the chief guest during the ceremony, said the coffee sector needs to be given a boost to drive the economy of the state in a major way. “Coffee cultivation in the state is threatened by climate change, but proper research should be put in to mitigate the effect and produce top-end coffee,” he added.

India exported 2.99 lakh metric tonnes of coffee during 2013-14 with export earnings of $776 million (Rs 4,594 crore), covering more than 100 countries. Italy, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Turkey and Spain are the top six countries importing Indian coffee.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / January 08th, 2016

‘Indian coffee doing well internationally’

Coffee production in the country this year could reach close to three lakh metric tonnes. Production in Karnataka, the country’s largest coffee producer, would also be better compared to the last few years, said former Coffee Board Chairman Javed Akhtar.

Speaking at the India Coffee Awards Ceremony, organised by Coffee Board on Thursday, he said that the scheme to expand Indian coffee internationally was extremely successful and Indian exporters are hugely respected. The export of this bean has also registered a marked increase, consistently touching three metric tonnes annually in the last few years, he added. Coffee Board Chairman Leena Nair said that 128 entities were actively exporting coffee in 2013-2014 to more than 100 countries with earnings close to Rs. 4,594 crore.

Andhra Pradesh is also gearing up to become a serious coffee producing State, another former Chairman G.V. Krishna Rau pointed out.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – January 08th, 2016

Karnataka to establish Cauvery River Gallery

KaveryKF07jan2016

Bengaluru :

After flip-flopping for many months, there is a concrete sign of Karnataka getting its first river museum. On Wednesday, the state government took first baby steps to expedite on its dream project, Cauvery river gallery.

The gallery, expected to be thrown open to the public in six months from now will showcase cultural and socio economic aspects of the river. It will feature exhibits, detailed satellite images, multimedia displays, digital video-shows and real-time experience of cruising along the river which is around 765 km in length.

Originating in the Brahmagiri Hill in Kodagu, the river flows from the western ghats and descends into the eastern ghats in a south-easterly direction covering 320 km in Karnataka and drains itself into the Bay of Bengal. “The proposed gallery would be set up with the support of the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI).

The government has already earmarked Rs 3.5 crore for the project. NASI would run it for first three years, train local personnel and then hand it over to the state government,” tourism minister R V Deshpande after signing an MOU with NASI on Wednesday said. By capturing the etymological, ecological, cultural, heritage, and social characteristics of the river, the gallery which would be set up in about 2500 sq ft area will also serve as a learning centre on the major south Indian river. The modalities are being worked out by the NASI, he added

Though the proposal was mooted by the Karnataka Knowledge Commission headed by K Kasturirangan, the government failed to find an appropriate place.

Initially, the commission had suggested establishing the gallery on the banks of the river Cauvery at Mysuru on the lines of Ganga Gallery at Allahabad and Brahmaputra Gallery at Guwahati. Later it was planned to establish the gallery in the premises of University of Mysore and also at a century old mansion on Kantharaj Urs Road in Mysuru.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Good Governanace> Karnataka / Manu Aiyappa / TNN / January 07th, 2016

Bopanna and I as partners have best chances of winning an Olympic medal: Leander Paes

Kolkata:

Indian tennis ace Leander Paes on Wednesday said if he partners Rohan Bopanna in the men’s doubles event in the Rio Olympics next year they will have the best chance of grabbing a medal.

“Pretty obvious in the men’s doubles that Rohan and myself have the best chance of going out there and winning the medal. Rohan has been playing some wonderful tennis, he has been playing with (Florin) Mergea and has done well. With Rohan and myself playing doubles for India, I think we have a great chance of grabbing a medal,” Paes told reporters in Kolkata where he had come as IDBI’s Kolkata Marathon’s ‘Face of the Event’.

Paes also says based on their current performances, he and Sania Mirza can be sent to Rio de Janeiro next year to represent the country in Olympics. (Getty Images)
Paes also says based on their current performances, he and Sania Mirza can be sent to Rio de Janeiro next year to represent the country in Olympics. (Getty Images)

“I had wanted to play with him in London. In the grass courts it was a great platform for us to do well.”

Four years back in London, Paes had to partner Vishnu Vardhan and they lost in the second round. He then combined with Sania Mirza but bowed out to the eventual mixed doubles champions Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus.

The 42-year-old believes based on current performance he and Mirza should be sent to represent the country in the mixed doubles event.

“With Sania Mirza, I played at London, we lost to the eventual champions Azarenka and Mirnyi. We had a great chance in that game too. We have both had good seasons, so on merit it is an obvious choice to let me and Sania go. But after what happened in London I don’t think anything can be taken for granted,” he said pointing to the fact that he was paired with Vardhan who during the London Olympics was ranked 209.

Both Mahesh Bhupathi and Bopanna refused to play doubles with Paes, after which the national tennis federation persuaded Sania Mirza to play with the veteran Kolkatan. And Paes paired up with lowly-ranked Vardhan.

The nine-time mixed doubles Grand Slam winner said that he was focussing on the event more as he had been successful in it in the last few years.

“For Rio, I have focussed a lot on mixed doubles, I have been focussing on the Grand Slams as mixed doubles is only played in four Grand Slams. And having a wonderful partner in Martina Hingis has allowed me to do that. Winning three of the four Grand Slams leading into the Olympics, it’s pretty obvious where my focus is,” he said.

“Having got the medal in singles already in the Olympics, to do it in the doubles and mixed doubles is something I am focussing on.”

The tennis star added that he is looking forward to playing alongside Bopanna and Sania if he gets the opportunity and that representing the country and getting a medal is the foremost thing on his mind.

“Let’s see how the next six months turn up. I hope another London does not happen. But representing the country is the foremost thing in my mind. And I think the best team should go and represent the country and it should be done on merit. I am looking forward to playing with Sania and Rohan if I get the opportunity.”

“I hope to have a chance at winning the medal and then hang that on my showcase along with the single’s medal,” concluded Paes who will set a record if he features in Rio for playing in the most number of Olympics as a tennis star.

source: http://www.ibnlive.com / IBN Live.com / Home> Sport / IANS / December 23rd, 2016