The final preparations are underway in Madikeri for the ’25th Annual Kodava Hockey Festival’, a hockey tournament between Kodava families. The tournament will be held from March. 28 to Apr. 27 at three grounds, and a record 370 teams have already registered.
The leaders of the Kodava Hockey Academy and Muddanda Family Hockey Festival Committee provided information regarding preparations done for the hockey tournament and the various programs to be held during the festival, at a press conference in Madikeri.
Hockey Academy President Pandada K. Bopanna said that 360 teams participated in the last year’s Kundyolanda Cup and 10 more teams have been added for the upcoming Muddanda Cup. A total of 370 teams have registered for Muddanda Cup .
He said that the inaugural exhibition match will be held on March 28 between Kodava Hockey Academy-GHI and the recently national-level winners Karnataka-GHI teams.
Badkada Deena Poovaiah will be the program director and Muddanda Roy Thamayya will be the coordinator. Cheppudira Kariappa will be the chief commentator in the tournament, while Maletira Srinivas will be his assistant. Kechettira Prasanna will handle the tie-breaking process. He said that Kundyolada Okka, who created a Guinness record at the last hockey festival, will be felicitated at the inaugural ceremony.
Makeri Ravi Pemmaiah, the executive chairman of the Hockey Academy, spoke and said that a hockey referee training workshop has been organized by Kodava Hockey Academy on March 19 and 20 at Kaveri College, Virajpet. He appealed to the interested youth of the district to participate in it and make good use of it.
He expressed confidence that this time’s Muddanda Cup will be held on the model of Mini Olympics.
Hockey Academy Vice President Kukkera Jaya Chinnappa said that the Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor and Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, Madikeri MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda, Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha MP Yaduveer Wodeyar, MLC M.P. Suja Kushalappa, Rajya Sabha Member Ajay Maken, Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja, District Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan and other prominent persons will participate in the inauguration ceremony.
Muddanda Hockey Festival President Muddanda Rashin Subbaiah said that the tournaments have been organized at two grounds of the Madikeri – Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College and the Police Parade Ground, and the work of constructing a gallery has almost been complitied. He said that different programs will also be held for the hockey tournament in the backdrop of the silver jubilee celebrations of the hockey festival.
This time, the sports torch will be carried through a marathon to the Ainmanes of all the families that have organized the hockey festival so far. The sports torch of the Muddanda Hockey Festival, will be passed at 8 am on March 25 at the Ainmane of the Pandada family in Karada village.
The ceremony will be inaugurated by A.S. Ponnanna, the Chief Minister’s legal advisor and MLA of Virajpet constituency.
Then the sports torch will travel to 8 Ainmanes in Ponnampet and then to various Ainmanes from March 26 to 28.
On March 28 at 9 am, the sports torch will be carried in a grand procession from General Thimmaiah Circle in Madikeri through the main road to the F.M.K,. M Cariappa College Ground. Rashin Subbaiah informed that leading marathon runners will run with the sports torch on all four days.
A hockey tournament between women’s teams has been organized at the Muddanda Hockey Festival in the backdrop of the Silver Jubilee celebrations. 30 teams have already registered, and more teams will join as the last date for registration is April 10. He said that the women’s hockey tournament will be held at the third ground.
During the semi-finals, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, Lal Rim Siami, will give information about the hockey game that has arrived. He said that the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team and Olympian Manpreet Singh will also participate in the tournament.
A special quiz competition Bride and Groom Search (Tand-Bend) program will be organized in the premises of the tournament ground.
The cyclothon will be held in Madikeri on April 26. A DJ program will entertain from the day of the pre-quarter to the final tournament day. An open “Maja Run” will be held from the city’s F.M.K. M.Cariappa Circle.
There will be an attractive fireworks display during
the final day ceremony. Arrangements have been for the parking of 2,000 vehicles. He said that the Vandana Trust of Bengaluru will manage plastic and other waste.
Muddanda Roy Thamayya, Secretary of Muddanda family, spoke and gave details of the Open Shooting competition. On April 20, the shooting competition will be held in three categories at Ground Two. A .22 shooting competition with a fixed target of 50 meters, a 12 bore shooting competition with a target of 30 meters and an Air Rifle shooting competition with a target of 15 meters have been organized. He said, that a coconut shooting competition will also be held.
This time, the sports torch is being carried with the intention of remembering and paying respect to the 24 families who have organized the Kodava Hockey Festival so far. The families will go to their Ainmanes and light the sports torch with the light of a nellakki bolcha.
Muddanda family President Muddanda B. Devayya spoke and appealed to everyone to participate in the grand procession to be held from General Thimmaiah Circle in Madikeri to F.M.K.M. Cariappa college Grounds on March 28.
The cooperation of all Kodava Samajas and Kodava Keris has been obtained. He expressed confidence that the hockey festival will be held successfully without any hindrance.
