Machamada Cup Kodava hockey festival begins at Ponnampet
Founder of the Kodava Hockey Festival Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani) tapping the silver hockey ball with a silver hockey stick to inaugurate the Machamada Kodava Hockey Festival at Ponnampet in Kodagu on Friday.
As many as 228 teams are participating in the hockey festival. The finals will be held on May 15.
Kodava men in their traditional attire fired 15 gun shots to mark the occasion. This was preceded by a colourful procession at Ponnampet town. The students of Cauvery College, Gonikoppal, performed Bolkat and Ummathat, the traditional Kodava dances.
Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani), the founder of the Kodava hockey festival, tapped the ball with a silver hockey stick to inaugurate the festivities. Mr. Kuttappa recalled that the festival was started by him in 1997 along with his brother Kashi.
Last year, Palanganda family had won the Maneyapanda Twenty 10 Cup which had participation from 214 Kodava families.
There was an exhibition match on the occasion between Karnataka and Kodagu teams which ended in a draw.
Cheranda Kishan, vice president of Ten Sports, Rekha Shridhar, Ponnampet town panchayath president, and Ajjikuttira Muthanna, vice president of Tata Coffee, were the guests.
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