If the semi-finals were to be treated as a benchmark, there is the exciting prospect of a well fought finals this morning at 11 AM between Mandepanda and Chendanda teams.
Overheard in the stands yesterday where impatient spectators had to listen to long speeches:
- “why can’t the so called chief guest allow the game to be played and not listen to their own voice on our time”
- ”The Annual Family Hockey Tournaments are a real treat and joy for the Kodavas. Pandanda Kuttappa (fondly called as Kuttani) must be so pleased watching it year-after-year from his celestial abode!”
- ”Isn’t it about time to have a more permanent venue with proper facilities, Astro turf (?), comfortable seating arrangements, toilets, refreshment areas and strong sponsorship? Temporary structures and constant change of venues account for the bulk of the expenses. Perhaps an IPL type of bidding can be done to attract the right sponsors for the event? Individual families can host the event but certain parameters or guidelines should be in place.
All valid observations and eventually it should result on a common agenda that dovetails with the overall objective of sustaining Kodava Culture as espoused by the Kodavaame Balo Nadp. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a proper stadium conceptualised by the people and “funded” appropriately. It is really good to keep the Family Hockey Namme apolitical – there are no strings attached. In fact Chief Guests can be chosen based on accomplishments on serving the community.
It’s time to rethink our approach to the Hockey festival. When a match is scheduled for 11 A.M., starting it at 2:30 P.M. is simply unacceptable, especially with rain forecasts, spectators waiting in hunger to watch the finals. Why haven’t they prioritized starting on time and finishing match by 12: 30 P.M.
Are the people there to watch Hockey or listen to endless speeches?
The Muddanda Hockey tournament final faced challenges due to multiple stakeholders’ involvement. While the Kodava academy’s role is crucial, over-involvement might have overshadowed other aspects. Similarly, commentators’ stage presence, though engaging, might have detracted from the on-field action. Kudos to the families for their tireless efforts, financial support, and passion – they’re the backbone of this tournament. Moving forward, striking a balance between stakeholders could enhance the event’s overall experience.
My Congratulations to Team Muddanda for hosting 25th edition of Kodava Hockey Tournament, successfully.
Kodava Hockey Namme is quintessentially a festival of Hockey which is one game very dear to Kodavas and rarely do we find a Kodava who hasn’t wielded an Hockey stick in his lifetime.
Essentially we should use this FAMILY HOCKEY FESTIVAL TO grow our unique community through friendship and display all our unique traits which make Kodavas very very unique setting them apart in a crowd, in turn identifying and grooming a player/ empire, creating a platform for match making, career oriented activities for gen next, and many other related activities to strengthen our community
Since, Kodava Hockey Tournament is funded by the government, We cannot avoid politicians, since we cannot avoid politicians, rather it is better to make use of them towards betterment of our community, yesterday we had two national hockey selectors on the Dias, let us hope for few kids from our community in the Indian team soon. The very purpose of conducting the KODAVA FAMILY HOCKEY TOURNAMENT is to ensure our GEN NEXT – GET INTO TEAM INDIA.
Poor Kuttani must be taken aback at the turn of events. He conceptualised the tournament to promote Hockey at the grassroots level. Not for political speeches.
Can’t we learn from the enormous impact of the Kodavaame Balo Nadp where it was strictly apolitical. Everything is turned into a political rally. There were many Ministers from the Congress Government, with two MLAs and their coterie. Even the BJP MP of Mysore and Kodagu had his say.
For the sake of preserving the sanity of the community – please PLAY THE GAME!
Speeches and political popularity takes precedence over hockey. It was a frustrating day of agonising waiting for the spectators.
Even though there was rain forecast, time was spent on speeches and the finals got delayed beyond any rational explanation.
Thank you for capturing the spirit and energy surrounding the tournament. It’s heartening to see the passion not only in the field but also among the spectators who care deeply about the future of this event.
Points raised from the need for more concise speeches to the vision for a permanent venue with modern facilities are thoughtful and valid. They reflect a collective aspiration to honour the legacy of pioneers like Pandanda Kuttappa while adapting to evolving expectations.
Sustaining and celebrating Kodava culture through events are like Family Hockey Tournament is indeed a shared responsibility. Moving towards improved infrastructure and thoughtful sponsorship models would be the right direction.
Keeping the spirit of the community driven would ensure the tournament remains inclusive, vibrant, and true to the roots of the Kodava people.
It’s inspiring to imagine a future where a dedicated, world-class venue stands as a tribute to Kodava traditions place built by the community, for the community.
Yes its high time the community thought long term to create a permanent world class stadium. 25 years on we still are plundering crores yearly on temporary facilities without even a thought towards investing in a state of the art stadium in Kodagu. Lets start now and yearly each family contributes atleast 50% of the amount given by the government to KODAVA HOCKEY ACADEMY so that in the next 5 years we have world class ASTRO Turf stadium which every kodava is proud of.
Unless we invest in the game immediately HOCKEY SHALL DIE ITS OWN DEATH WITHOUT BIGTIME REPRESENTATION OF KODAVAS IN INDIAN TEAM. LETS INVEST IN OUR FUTURE.