Star Indian badminton player and Olympian Ashwini Ponnappa has been chosen as the ‘Coorg Person of the year, 2017,’ in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news portal, promoted by senior journalist P T Bopanna.

A release said that what clinched her the title besides her sporting achievements was Ashwini’s decision to marry a fellow Kodava instead of marrying outside her community.

Ashwini had won a gold medal in the women’s doubles event of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

There was much rejoicing recently in the small Kodava community following Ashwini’s decision to marry a Kodava. Ashwini, who belongs to the Machimanda clan married model Ponnachettira Karan Medappa.

The close-knit Kodavas (Coorgs) who number less than two lakhs have been worried by the recent trend of community members marrying non-Kodavas.

Iychettira Ravi Somaiah who has built a sports facility for the public near Kushalanagar in Kodagu was also nominated for the title.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by DH News Service / Madikeri – January 01st, 2018