Every summer, coffee estates and ancestral homes of Kodagu reverberate with the sound of footsteps, the crack of hockey sticks and the roar of collective pride. Generations – Grand Parents, children, kith and kin gather not merely to compete, but to reconnect. Elders who grace the stands with visible pride writ large on their faces, who once played now sit on the sidelines, their eyes glistening not just with nostalgia, but with relief that a revered and sacrosanct tradition still survives.
This is not just a game. This is “movement that embodies our identity”. Resistance against a world that is rapidly fragmenting families into nuclear units, reducing relationships to occasional WhatsApp exchanges and forwarded social media messages. Resistance against the growing culture of individualism that quietly erodes the very idea of “us” (the Kodava spirit, identity and way of life) and yet the irony is hard to ignore. But beneath this electrifying celebration lies an uncomfortable truth.
Why should unity need an event? Why should families require a tournament to sit together, laugh together and remember their shared roots? Have we become so distant that togetherness must now be scheduled, sponsored and celebrated as an exception rather than lived as a normal? Why include political contributions and speeches?
The vision for the sport under Kuttani Ajja’s initiative was that a strong and accountable body like KODAVA HOCKEY ACADEMY (KHA) should ensure structure, fairness with a long term vision. Without this the foundation will remain fragile and the platform for the envisioned ideals will not evolve in the desired direction.
Kodagu also deserves a dedicated Hockey stadium, a permanent home for a proud tradition – not temporary grounds and makeshift arrangements. The stadium should reflect the pride and seriousness of this exemplary heritage. If it can happen in Jharkand and Orissa – why not in Kodagu?
Some preliminary thoughts about the direction for the future evolution of the KHA.
- The funds generated through these tournaments are not for indulgence or celebration alone. They belong to the future of Kodava Hockey. Surplus money must flow into a Trust for building proper infrastructure, professional training and enduring support of young talent, and a proper roadmap for preserving the legacy that Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani) and Kashi Ponnappa envisioned. At present, the use of government grants largely goes unquestioned.
- While the Pandanda family can retain the Honorary Chair, we have eminent Olympians with Administrative experience who should be entrusted with the management and development of the game. Eminent Kodava sports personalities from other branches should also contribute to the development and attainment of excellence in different disciplines. Kodavas have excelled in Tennis, Golf, Squash, Badminton, Athletics, Boxing, Shooting, Swimming, Sailing, Cricket – in individual and team sports. Getting the right mentorship, corporate sponsorship, support from Central Government bodies is the need of the hour.
- In addition to a Hockey stadium, consider a multi disciplinary complex so that all Sports Tournaments can take place at the same time. Precious mandays are lost in the conduct of Sports Nammes at different time intervals and worse the most inconsequential disciplines like tug-of-war, table tennis, Five-a-side football, with more being invented as the months roll by!
This tradition is not just ours to merely enjoy as an annual event – it is ours to protect.
In summary, the proud victory cries of an Okka should not fade away into oblivion over a hollow sound system. It should rise from a solid foundation built on Purpose, Discipline, Integr
In the previous hockey festival, I openly mentioned some of these points articulated by Ms Subbaiah to the President and members of the organising committee of the Hockey Namme. If we don’t make the right moves, this will remain a carnival with no real progress on the development of the game.
We have circled with friends in Punjab and Amarjit Singh has provided some brilliant insight to the Hockey Story in Punjab – arguably the “cradle of Hockey” in the country.
Hockey in Punjab is more than just a sport; it is a legacy that reflects the spirit, strength, and unity of the people. From its early beginnings during the British era to its golden achievements on the world stage, Punjab has played a vital role in shaping Indian hockey. With continued efforts and support, the state has the potential to restore its former glory and inspire future generations to carry forward this proud tradition.
KHA and true Kodava community should emulate what is being done in Punjab and Odisha/Jharkand. Holding Nammes is at best a cultural extravaganza that has not necessarily served the more critical objective of developing the sport in Kodagu. Afterall, we have been called in several occasions – especially in the Army, as the Sardars of the South!
CLN will be publishing a more exhaustive document on the subject soon.
Very well articulated article. This voice needs to be well heard especially by the office bearers of The Kodava Hockey Academy. One also begins to wonder the role of other Kodava Community Organizations like the Akhila Kodava Samaja and The Federation of Kodava Samajas and so on in contributing to the well being and future of our community? If there have an agenda, it appears to be a well kept secret!
Two separate headlines that needs no explanation:
“Preparations are underway to organise the hockey festival in a grand manner in Kodagu. This time, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports has also been invited and he has assured his presence,” said Mysuru Lok Sabha MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar.
https://m.rediff.com/sports/report/dantewada-sports-boost-from-sachin-tendulkar/20260422.htm
Sachin Tendulkar visited Dantewada to support the ‘Maidan Cup’ sports initiative.
The ‘Maidan Cup’ aims to transform the Maoist-affected Dantewada region into a sports hub.
Around 50 school playgrounds have been developed under the ‘Maidan Cup’ initiative.
The initiative benefits over 5,000 children through sports like kabaddi and athletics.
The ‘Maidan Cup’ seeks to reclaim childhood and open new avenues for youth through sports in Dantewada.
When will Kodavas and Kodagu receive REAL SUPPORT for anything meaningful in the District at a scale that one can legitimately say – A JOB WELL DONE
I follow CLN Online News with great interest and Hockey/Sport is anyway very close to any Sardar’s heart!
The Family Hockey Event is a fascinating phenomena – no other community or State has this in the country. In Punjab, hockey is played across the region and a lot of us also join the Armed Firces and Public Sector Organisations based on sport. I am sure this is the case amongst Kodavas too and I have a lot of good friends from Coorg.
I have to point out though that creating a platform for “bonding” in a carnival type of environment and “playing the game” as a means for professional career and recognition are two different ball games. I get the feeling that the Family Hockey Festival is more of the former – fun, frolic and merriment. If serious development is the goal, follow the Odisha/Jharkand model. Former Olympians are the custodians for the development of the sport. They engage with the State and Central Government and supporting Corporates for creating good infrastructure, unbiased spotting of talent and the ongoing nurturing of selected youngsters. I don’t see that happening so much in Coorg. After all the legendary TATA Group and many large Hospitality Groups enjoy the benefits of the Mand for business and can meaningfully engage with a more “professionally” run Hockey Organization. Perhaps some of the famous players should become political leaders and they will be able to implement what is happening in Odisha/Jharkand. In Punjab our numbers are much more and somehow we are able to make our presence felt both for representation at the National level and also for professional reasons.
Perhaps the ball is the court of the KHA to rethink the future development of Sport in this hugely talented and athletically gifted community from the South.
An excellent write up by Ms. M Subbaiah – It is spot on in pointing out several urgent areas for improvement.
While the “Family Hockey” tradition continues to bring our community together, I am concerned about the lack of progress on the dire need for physical infrastructure. For the past 2 years, we have heard numerous announcements regarding new hockey stadia and facilities, yet we have seen no actual development on the ground.
I endorse the suggestion that a portion of the revenue generated in the name of Kodagu Hockey be allocated toward developing a modern turf ground. Currently, we lack representation from the district on the national side, and this needs to change. I urge our elected political and community leaders to prioritize the development of a world class quality hockey ground that is centrally located and easily accessible to players from all corners of the district.”
I appreciate CLNs efforts in highlighting these important topics for the community to introspect and progress to the next level.
Very good article.
A strong step forward for Kodava Hockey Academy would be to become an autonomous body with a clear long-term vision. Tournament organizers should collectively contribute a fixed share towards a dedicated infrastructure fund. With the strong community spirit in Kodagu, this can also encourage donors to come forward with land or support. Even a small beginning can lay the foundation for a full-fledged sports academy that nurtures future talent.
The bold article by Ms Mamath Subbaiah is to be applauded. Many of our esteemed community organizations seem to abdicate the responsibility of understanding what is their role?
KHA has to move from being a superficial body to taking the responsibility of creating infrastructure for the prestigious game of Hockey where we excel as a community, train and sponsor youngsters with talent, attract meaningful sponsorship from well heeled members of the community and Corporates and become the custodian for organizing sports festivals on a “consolidated” basis. The plethora of meaningless time consuming Nammes is a wasteful exercise of precious time meant for WORK.
This is something being talked about in quite a few circles in Coorg. We need to plan on some permanent infrastructure in north and south Coorg so that we can improve the over all quality of the game as well as the viewing as well as overall experience.
We should also be able to identify young talent and build some kind of community scholarship for these players.
Bang on target. Need a dedicated sports infrastructure in Coorg. IMO – It should not be limited to some corner in Coorg. Tyranny of distance, weather and connectivity should be taken into account. I fail to understand the rationale behind getting land allocated at V. Badaga village for an integrated sports complex. Land should have been chosen in the outskirts of Madikeri. Madikeri is well connected by road, both within Coorg and from regions outside it, and its elevation ensures a more temperate climate, offering relief from the scorching summer heat experienced across much of the South. Many Kodavas residing in Mysore and Bangalore turn up to watch the hockey matches, particularly the finals, Madikeri has a wide range of accommodation options, which the other areas lack.
That said, a dedicated indoor hockey stadium should also exist in the east, west, north and south of Coorg. It will help the children in those areas to practice without travelling too far a distance.
Lesser mortals playing sports like basketball and football should also be shown some mercy. There is an Indoor basketball court next to General Thimayya stadium at Madikeri. It has been usurped by shuttlers and turned into a shuttle court. We ballers feel like pariah and can’t play there.
With the rise in popularity of badminton in Coorg, particularly following the achievements of Ashwini Ponnappa, many enthusiasts are keen to take up the sport. In this context, I would request the Madikeri MLA to consider providing a dedicated indoor badminton facility, so that the badminton players can permanently shuttle there. This would allow badminton players to pursue their sport without encroaching on the indoor basketball court at Madikeri.
I am in total agreement with the suggestion. Why splurge valuable funds on merriment. Napoklu stadium can be made into a wonderful sports complex with hockey stadium being in focus.