Monthly Archives: July 2021

Mysurean Boxer To Tokyo As Head Coach

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

C.A. Kuttappa to lead a team of nine pugilists for post-COVID Olympics

India’s Chief Men’s Boxing Coach Subedar Chenanda Achaiah Kuttappa will be the Head Boxing Coach for 32nd Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo, Japan, between July 23 to August 8.

A resident of Gokulam in Mysuru city, he was nominated for the Dronacharya Award-2018 in boxing. He took over as the Chief Coach for men’s boxing in India in 2018 and has played a significant role in the rise of Indian boxing as a force after the disappointment at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and will travel to Tokyo alongside the nine qualified boxers for the world event.

The team will leave for Tokyo from their training base in Assisi on July 17. An unprecedented nine Indian pugilists have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics this time, including five men and four women. All of them are giving final touches to their games preparations in Assisi. The Games will open on July 23 with boxing competitions starting the next day. The men who have qualified are world number one and Asian Games champion Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish Kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg).

The women’s squad comprises six-time world champion MC Mary Kom (51kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg). India’s qualification performance in boxing this time was markedly better than the 2016 Rio Games where only three made the tournament-proper, none of them women.

The country did not win any boxing medals in the previous Games. India’s first boxing medal in the Olympics came in 2008 when Vijender Singh claimed the middleweight bronze, followed by Mary Kom’s medal in 2012.

Making India proud

Kuttappa is the second son of late Achaiah and Shanthi (Thamane – Katimada). He married Ashwini (Nancy), daughter of Palangiyanda Uthappa and Greshi Uthappa, residents of Mysuru. They are blessed with a daughter Yudhi, studying in sixth standard.

Kuttappa did his primary schooling at Mahaveer School, Mysuru till seventh standard and continued at Army School Bangalore to study up to 12th. He then joined the NIS Diploma in Sports Coaching in Boxing 2006-2007 and continued with AIBA Star 2 Coaching Course 2017, Rohtak (India), AIBA Star 3 Coaching Course 2019, South Korea and AIBA Cutman course 2017, Uzbekistan.

Kuttappa completed his BA from Bangalore Open University. He joined the Indian Army in 1996 and is presently working as Subedar and is the Head Boxing Coach, Elite Men National Boxing. Kuttappa has made India proud on numerous occasions. He started by winning bronze in the Sub Jr. YMCA Boxing championship in 1994.

He did not look back from then on. After winning nearly 30 matches in the international arena at the age of 30, he became the coach of the Indian boxing team. He has represented India as a coach at many international events including the Olympics.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> July 14th, 2021

Kuvempu Multipurpose Hall Inaugurated At Sainik School In Kodagu

Education, Records, All

Madikeri: 

Air Vice Marshal P.J. Walia, Senior Officer-in-Charge – Administration, Training Command, Indian Air Force, Bengaluru and Chairman, Local Board of Administration, Sainik School, Kodagu, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Local Board of Administration of Sainik School in Kodagu on July 9. 

He also inaugurated Kuvempu Multipurpose Hall and Public Information LED Display Board (8ft x12ft., a one of its kind in the region). A cultural event ‘Vandana Prayer Dance’ was presented by Day Scholar Cadets. On the occasion, the Chairman and Col. G. Kannan, Principal, Sainik School, Kodagu, exchanged mementoes. The Chairman and all members also planted a sapling each in the school campus after their meeting.

Gp. Capt. R.R. Lall, Command Education Officer, Bengaluru, the representative of District Commissioner, Kodagu, Madikeri, Sqn. Ldr. R.K. Dey, School Administrative Officer, Prof. Y. Sreekanth, Principal, Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru, Prof. R. Shivappa, Registrar, University of Mysore, Vijay Kumar Swarnkar, Executive Engineer, CPWD, Mysuru Central Division and Prakash Krishnabhatta Joshi, Parent Member were present in the Local Board of Administration Meeting. 

Col. G. Kannan, Principal and Member-Secretary, briefed all the training and administrative aspects of the school and the progress made in the past nine months. The members deliberated and arrived at various policy decisions for future development of the school.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 14th, 2021

Scaling Hills, Climbing Trees Daily Workout For Network

Business & Economy, Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology

Virajpet:

The online platform may be the only way to reach students during lockdown, but the digital medium comes with its own challenges. Students living in remote areas in Kodagu are facing trouble due to slow internet and connectivity issues. Lessons cannot be downloaded and they cannot attend online classes as videos and audios do not play. 

Kodagu is one of the high-altitude districts in Karnataka and most of the areas have green cover and undulating terrain. However, this very feature poses a great challenge to the students in attending online classes due to poor internet connectivity.

Students are commonly seen sitting on the roadside on top of bridges and on the rocks where they attend online classes. Some of them climb trees risking their lives and limbs. While the internet may not be available inside some houses, faint signals are somewhat available at a distance. So parents have the task of taking the children to the area where connectivity is available and bringing them back home after classes. 

Rain trouble too

Now it is raining across the district and students can’t even sit in the open outside. They sit inside jeeps and other vehicles to protect themselves from rain. There is hardly any mobile network in remote villages in Virajpet Taluk like Kedamullur, Birunani, Badagarakeri, Hysodlur, Nittoor, Karmad, Kunda and also Hathur. 

To attend the online classes, these students have no option but to find a spot where they get proper connectivity. And there are very few places where they get an internet connection on the phone. Added to the connectivity issues, many areas are in the dark due to frequent tree falls. Villages like Kedamullur, Badaga, Thermemotte, Baarikaadu, Kottooli, Thomara and Koorthikaadu do not get power restored for weeks together in case wires snap. 

“Due to the lack of a mobile network in my village, I have to walk into the forests where I can get faint signals. Our village is one of the places where basic communication facilities are missing and villagers have to walk towards the forests at the time where they get signal on their phones. Sometimes it rains when we are outside and we are not able to study,” said M.C. Nireeksha, a  10th Standard student at Heggala Ramanagara School. 

Students are the ones who are suffering the most as they have to travel 3-4 km at times during the lockdown to attend online classes, she added. At remote villages where there is undulating terrain, mobile network is not balanced across the village and they get signal only in the upper reaches. A majority of students in the Kedamullur region have been studying in the schools and colleges in Virajpeṭ and 70 percent are the children of labourers.

“My house is in the lower part of Kedamullur village while good signal can be reached only in the upper reaches of the village, so my children are forced to trek till a particular point to study. This is a wooded area and there is a threat of wild animals. Along with my daughter I too walk 4 km to get connectivity and we only return in the evening,” said Vishwanath, a parent. 

Authorities nonchalant

While this is the predicament faced by the students, those in positions of power sit tight saying that they have written many letters to higher-ups and there is no response. “BSNL provides connectivity to many areas in Kodagu and the offices of engineers, technicians and other staff are empty as there are hardly any employees. I have even written many letters to higher-ups for a mobile tower but there is no response,” said Kedamullur Gram Panchayat President N. Sheela. 

“There is a 2G BSNL tower in Virajpet-Kedamullur and it is a genuine problem. Letters have been written a month back to upgrade the tower to 4G network. The problem will be solved if a new tower is installed,” said BSNL Virajpet Sub-Division Engineer Narayana. The officer was, however, silent on when the new tower will be installed or the existing tower would be upgraded to 4G.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 14th, 2021

Girl power is Gold power ft. Ashwini Ponnappa & Sikki Reddy

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

Kotak Mahindra Bank is encouraging the ambition of promising young champions, in collab with the Gopichand Academy.

The Tokyo Olympics is less than 10 days away and like every time, everyone is abuzz with excitement. However, unlike any other year, this time expectations on the Indian contingent are higher than ever.

India is projected to break the record for most medals hauled at any Olympic Games. Until now, the country’s best tally was at the London Olympics in 2012 with six medals.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, again, hopes were high but mostly, the Indian athletes disappointed. The only two medals were won by two women, Sakshi Malik in wrestling and PV Sindhu in badminton.

Truth is, in recent years, the encroachment of the nation’s sportswomen has seen a sharp spike.

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (KMBL) released the “Girl Power is Gold Power” video as a part of their initiative to promote female athletes via Kotak Karma.

The video features star Indian shuttlers Ashwini Ponnappa, a World Championship bronze medallist, and N Sikki Reddy, Gold medalist at the South Asian Games 2016. It carries a special message that honours young women who chase their dreams no matter how crazy they may be labelled, no matter the stigmas, no matter what society says. It heralds young women who want to follow in the footsteps of Ashwini and Sikki.

The one-minute film also pays tribute to those who support these young, crazy dreamers, the family members and the coaches, who often sacrifice almost as much as these athletes to help pave the way to their glory.

“Every empowered child is a product of an enlightened ecosystem – comprising family, friends and acquaintances who have extended their support. With the world’s biggest sporting event upon us, this is a good time to remind us all that investing in the dreams and aspirations of the next generation can give us returns beyond measure,” Rohit Rao, Joint President & Group Chief CSR Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited stated at the campaign launch.

Kotak Karma is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) identity of the Kotak Mahindra Group. Under its CSR Projects on Sports, KMBL has collaborated with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation based in Gachibowli, Telangana to develop a state-of-the-art badminton training facility with advanced infrastructure and amenities, and international standard coaches that will help India produce more world-class players. Both the athletes featured in the film train at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation.

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home>Videos> Badminton / by The Bridge Desk / July 14th, 2021

Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy comes to Coimbatore

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports
Rohan Bopanna. (AP Photo)

Coimbatore :

The Rohan Bopanna Tennis  Academy, run by the Indian doubles ace, on Monday opened at a school.


“I am very happy to be able to see young talent, giving them the positive encouragement of sport,” he said at the virtual inauguration of Coimbatore’s first development tennis centre in association with the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy (RBTA).


The academy is being set up at RAK’s school.


It is also special because it is the first development academy for RBTA outside Karnataka , he added.


Bopanna, India’s top doubles player currently, said Coimbatore has had a lot of talent for many years, adding “one of the main reasons to start a centre here is that there are a lot of students with tremendous talent but lack opportunity.


“We have a structured programme in place.”


Further, Bopanna said when children come to the school, they would get to watch young talent training there, get inspired and start playing tennis.


Speakers at the event, including the RAK’s School founders, emphasised that sports and academics should go hand in hand to ensure holistic development of a child.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Sports News> Tennis News / by PTI / July 12th, 2021

Gulshan Devaiah: So much tamasha about nepotism, people are segregated on sets based on job profile

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

Actor Gulshan Devaiah admits that the divide has bothered him for a long time, but doesn’t know what he can do to change it. That’s the reason why he has started putting it out on social media.

Actor Gulshan Devaiah also took to Twitter to condemn the practice.
Actor Gulshan Devaiah also took to Twitter to condemn the practice

Nepotism, according to Gulshan Devaiah, is not the only thing about Bollywood that needs to change. The actor feels that segregation of people based on their job profile with separate dining areas also needs to be done away with.

“It’s a very common occurrence. It happens across the entire spectrum, be it film sets, ad shoots or TV sets. I’ve been seeing this since the time I’ve been working here. It doesn’t happen on every set, but a lot of sets do segregate,” Devaiah shares.

It’s been more than 10 years since he’s a part of the industry, and over these years, he has seen the divide among people working on a set diluting a bit. But that’s not enough.

Looking back at his initial years, the 43-year-old recalls, “In 2008, when I was an ‘extra’, at that time, people used to say, ‘Aapke khaana udhar laga hua hai aur unka wahan’. I never paid much attention to it at that point of time, but it’s something that really bothers me. There’s a certain class and hierarchy which is there.”

While the Ghost Stories (2020) and Unpaused actor doesn’t know what he can do to solve it, he’s using his voice to initiate a conversation, hoping it would spin the wheel of change. That’s the reason he recently took to Twitter to express, “What bothers me more than Nepotism in Bollywood S1 E02: Sets that segregate people based on their job profile with separate dining areas”.

Talking about it, the actor rues, “So much tamasha is made about nepotism. In fact, nepotism pichle saal se kaafi popular hai yahan pe, particularly hamari industry mein sab log apni shortcomings doosre pe dalte hain. Here, I’m not trying to deny nepotism. But there are so many other things as well, which are bothersome. There are so many areas where we can as an industry do better. That’s why I thought I’ll start writing my thoughts.”

When asked if anything has changed, Devaiah notes that there are many sets who don’t practice such biases but at the same time, he has experienced it rampantly on other sets.

“We are all working together, can’t we have more dignity. There are some artistes who like to stay isolated, but then they can go into their dressing room or vanity. This kind of segregation is wrong,” he concludes.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Sugandha Rawal / July 12th, 2021

This team has a habit of scoring in dying minutes: Subbaiah

Leaders, Sports, World Opinion

Bengaluru :  

Former India hockey goalkeeper AB Subbaiah said he has seen a noticeable shift in the mentality of the current men’s hockey team, and that unlike in the past, the side has now acquired the “habit of scoring in the dying minutes”.

“I like the shift in the mentality of the current team. Nowadays, the Indian team has the habit of scoring in the dying minutes of the game whereas earlier they used to concede goals in the final period,” said the two-time Olympian, who was also part of the team that won gold at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, on Friday.

“The team has an experienced defence line. Sreejesh has been consistent for many years, Harmanpreet looks confident in his drag flicks. The midfield looks solid and energetic, led ably by Manpreet Singh, and the forward line is extremely opportunistic and sharp. If the team can emulate their performances from the last two years and play to their potential in the Olympics, then I am sure that they can win a medal this time around,” opined Subbaiah.

“The people of India are looking forward to a good performance from our athletes in Tokyo. I hope that both, the men’s and women’s hockey teams, can lead the way for the rest of the contingent.”

Recalling his experiences from the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games to stress that the Olympics remain the gold standard in competitive hockey, Subbaiah said, “No other tournament can be compared with the Olympics. The Olympics are the benchmark in the competitive hockey circle. Every team adopts a four-year cycle to their preparation because of the Olympics. This is why so many veterans retire after the Olympics, and new players are given a chance to prove themselves.

“You train for four years to compete at this stage. The top teams always have some new tricks up their sleeve which they don’t reveal in any tournaments or test games before the Olympics,” he said.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld / Home> Sports / by IANS / July 10th, 2021

How this D2C coffee startup is bringing home café-like experience

Coffee News

Kolkata-based Country Bean has seen 200 percent growth compared to pre-pandemic sales. But competing with venture-backed D2C coffee brands and FMCG biggies is going to be a challenge.

When Aditi Somani Satnaliwala returned home after finishing her undergraduate course from the University of Warwick, England, in 2013, the one thing she missed about her stay abroad was her morning flavoured coffee. 

“A good cup of coffee is so important for me and it was so accessible while I was studying abroad. In India, flavoured coffees were not easily available. Even if it was, a common person could not afford to have it every single day because of the prices,” Aditi tells YourStory.

She then started contacting a few suppliers in the UK, who would let her become the supplier of their flavoured coffee. “But that didn’t work out. Many didn’t trust me due to the lack of experience in the import and export field,” she says.  

Aditi resorted to experimenting by adding flavours such as caramel and coconut to her instant coffees, and that’s where the wheels for Country Bean started rolling. 

Launched in 2017, the Kolkata-based brand offers coffee flavours like caramel, hazelnut, and coconut. Recently, the startup has added more flavours like cocoa mint, berry, and cardamom to its portfolio. 

“Some variants, including caramel and vanilla, are our permanent flavours. But we experiment a lot with different flavours during festive and other seasons of the year. Last year, during monsoon, we launched cardamom flavoured coffee, and our customers liked it so much that we ended up putting it on our permanent menu,” says Aditi. 

After close to a year of the launch, Aditi’s husband Aneesh Satnaliwala, a former investment banking analyst from Goldman Sachs and founder of multiple startups, joined the direct-to-consumer (D2C) coffee brand as the co-founder. 

The business

The startup gets almost 90 percent of its sales from online channels, including its own website, and ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart, among others. The remaining 10 percent comes from selling through retail channels such as Future Group’s gourmet grocery store Foodhall. 

Country Bean claims to have seen 200 percent growth in business from pre-pandemic levels, with its customer base reaching 2.5 lakh till date from 50,000 customers in the initial days of the business. However, the bootstrapped startup did not reveal the amount invested in the business so far. 

Growth during the pandemic

The pandemic has been extremely beneficial for D2C brands as a whole. Locked in consumers had no choice but to shop through online channels, making new brand discovery much easier. 

The sector leaders saw improved bottom lines, including cosmetic D2C brand Sugar, which saw its highest sales in November 2020, and D2C baby and mother care brand MamaEarth, which reached a valuation of $300 million after reaching a revenue run rate of Rs 700 crore. 

Another Kolkata-based D2C skincare brand Dot and Key, which was launched in 2018, saw 30x growth in the last three years of the business. 

Country Bean also saw its repeat purchases reaching 25 percent during the pandemic, and the average order value reaching between Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. 

The brand has already started expanding its offerings with Hazelnut Latte and Dalgona spreads, and coffee accessories like milk frother and coffee mugs.

The market and competition

According to Statista, the Indian coffee and tea market grew to Rs 420 billion in 2017 from about Rs 252 billion in 2013.  

Country Bean’s proposition might be a unique one, but the brand is operating in a space where the competition is growing consistently. 

The flavoured-coffee brand sees competition not just from Rukam Capital-backed Sleepy Owl, Fireside Ventures-backed Slay Coffee, and Blue Tokai Coffee Roosters, but also from FMCG giants. 

To capitalise on the increasing online shopping of niche brands, Tata Consumer Pvt. Ltd. launched a premium coffee brand called Tata Sonnets last year for high-income consumers. 

While Aditi claims she does not take too much pressure about keeping strict product launch targets, the brand keeps working on five to six products at a time and aims to launch two to three products every quarter, with three to four potential products always in the pipeline. Currently, the brand is working on a few products, including coffee flavours and spreads to launch in the upcoming quarters. 

The only way Country Bean can stay ahead in this crowded market is by keeping its offerings fresh and unique. 

source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story / Home> Start Up / by Prasannata Patwa / July 10th, 2021

Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All
Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu
Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu

HIGHLIGHTS

Fayaz Khan who has directed stunts and acted in 1,560 films in various languages wants to set up an institute to train youths in the art in his native Kodagu district.

Madikeri:

Fayaz Khan who has directed stunts and acted in 1,560 films in various languages wants to set up an institute to train youths in the art in his native Kodagu district. As small boy in 1980s, he sold peanuts in cinema halls to support his family in Gonicoppa, a small town in Kodagu district. Sounds like a film story? But it’s true. Fayaz Khan who directed stunts for 1,560 films till now once sold peanuts in cinema halls and never studied beyond class III.

Born in a poor family and fond of films, Fayaz Khan left home in 1985 and landed in Bengaluru in search of his dream. He came to Gandhinagara and begged film directors for a chance and got a small role in Tamil film Idiyadagam. After seeing his performance, many directors gave him a chance. However, his passion lay in stunts. Later he became a stunt artiste and worked for 1,560 films in various languages including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

Fayaz started his own stunt artists association and trained more than 1100 artists since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Apart from being a stunt master, he acted with such stalwarts like Dr Raj kumar, Vishnuvardhan, Rajanikanth, Salman Khan, Akshaya Kumar, Mammootti, Mohan Lal, Chiranjeevi, Punit Raj Kumar. Speaking to this reporter, Fayaz said that there is a good environment for films in Kodagu. “There is a lot of employment potential in film industry for youths from the tourism district if we train them properly,” he said and expressed his wish to open a film training institute in Kodagu to tap hidden talent.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / Hans News Service / July 09th, 2021

Kushalnagar Formally Gets Taluk Status Amid Fracas

About Kodagu / Coorg, Business & Economy, Records, All

Madikeri:

Six months after issuing a final notification for the formation of Kushalnagar taluk, the taluk was officially dedicated on Tuesday by Revenue Minister R. Ashoka. The State Government had notified the taluk on Jan. 1 this year and a new taluk was formed adding to the list of existing four taluks — Madikeri, Virajpet, Ponnampet and Somwarpet.

The taluk was created bowing to public pressure and years of struggle as residents were forced to travel 27-km to Somwarpet to get their work done. Cauvery Taluk Horata Kendriya Samiti spearheaded the agitations.

However, Tuesday’s inauguration became chaotic as office-bearers and members of the Samiti alleged that though Kushalnagar taluk was their baby, they had been ignored during the inauguration ceremony, making it an all-BJP affair. They shouted slogans as soon as Minister Ashoka rose to speak. However, they were evicted out forcefully. 

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, Somwarpet MLA M.P. Appachu Ranjan and MLC Veena Achaiah were present on the dais. Minister Ashoka praised Appachu Ranjan for his efforts to form the taluk. “He visited my office 20-30 times urging me to accord the taluk status,” he said. 

Ashoka noted that Tahsildar and 12 posts have been created and Rs. 50 lakh had been released for necessary works and assured that all necessary support would be provided to the newly-developed taluk in a phased manner. 

In his address, thanking Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Ashoka, MLA Appachu Ranjan said that a Mini Vidhana Soudha was necessary to house all Government offices. 

Samiti alleges side-lining

Before Ashoka spoke, members of Cauvery Taluk Horata Kendriya Samiti alleged that the BJP had hijacked their efforts to form the taluk for 20 years. Horata Samiti leader and Zilla Panchayat former member K.P. Chandrakala said that Samiti Chairman V.P. Shashidhar’s name was deliberately dropped from the list of guests in the invitation.

“The event has been converted into a BJP event,” she said, as the Samiti members including Shashidhar shouted slogans against the BJP Government. This irked BJP followers and they too shouted pro-BJP slogans. This led to a fracas where both sides accused each other. Some were even pushed around.

Though Pratap Simha tried to calm down the agitated crowd, the fight did not stop and the Police tried to send Shashidhar and other activists outside the hall. Then a fight broke out with Inspector Mahesh. Later, the Police evicted the Samiti members out of the hall. 

Meanwhile, Appachu Ranjan said that he had supported the efforts of all organisations in the formation of Kushalnagar taluk. “When Siddharamaiah was the CM, I led a delegation to Belagavi and Bengaluru. When V.P. Shashidhar had launched a hunger strike, it was I who stood behind him when the then Kodagu District Minister M.R. Seetharam did not care. All this must be remembered by the Samiti,” he added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 08th, 2021