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It will not be an exaggeration to say that
Coorg is a nursery of Indian hockey. For the last
several decades, hockey players from Coorg have found
representation in the Indian team to the Olympics.
Arjun Halappa has now kept up the tradition and done
India proud. Those from Coorg who have captained the
Indian team in the past include the legendary
B.P.Govinda, M.P.Ganesh and M.M.Somaiya.
In the recent years, the game of hockey has received a
new lease of life. Pandanda Kuttappa, popularly known
as Kuttani, a retired State Bank of India official and
a hockey enthusiast, started family hockey tournament
exclusively for the Coorg's in 1997.
In this unique tournament, members of various Coorg
families, play one another. There is no age or gender
bar for participating in the matches, though of late,
the tournament has become highly competitive,
involving high caliber hockey. Of the over 700 Coorg
families, more than 200 families have been sending
their teams for the tournament which is played in the
month of April.
More than a sport, the family hockey has become a
social event, with family members cheering up their
teams with gusto. There is a festive atmosphere in the
air with stalls coming up near the match venues,
serving delicious Coorg dishes.
The hockey festival has already found its name in the
Limca Book of Records for the largest ever hockey
event to be organized in any part of the world at one
stretch.
The Kodava Hockey Academy is the apex body which has
the final word on matters related to the tournament.
Sixty families participated in the first tournament
organized by the "Pandanda" family in 1997 at Karada
which was won by the Kaliyanda family. The Kodira Cup
in the following year played at Kadanga had 116 teams
vying for the cup which was finally clinched by the
Kullettira family.
Both Koothanda family and Kullettira family were
declared joint winners of the Ballachanda Cup held in
1999 which attracted participation from 140 teams.
The Cheppudira Cup held at Ponnompet in 2000 had the
participation from 170 teams and the Nallamakkada Cup
held at Ammathi in 2001 had 220 families. The
Koothanda family emerged the winners on both the
occasions.
The Kullettira family bagged the Chekkera Cup
tournament held at Hudikeri in 2002 which witnessed
participation from 252 teams.
The Kaliyanda Cup played at Napoklu in 2003 drew a
record 280 teams and the Nallamakkada family won the
tournament.
The Koothanda family established their supremacy in
family hockey by winning for the fourth time when they
clinched the Maleyanda Cup in 2004 which saw 235 teams
in action.
The Biddanda family cup held in 2005 was won by the
Nallamakkada family.
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