Kodagu: The Kodava Hockey Festival, which was inaugurated yesterday, April 15th, is being held this year under the banner of the Kuppanda cup. It is an annual thirty day event held usually in the months of April and May, before the onset of the monsoon. It is one of the largest community run sports events of its kind in the South and attracts over 200,000 visitors each year.
The Kodava Hockey festival – something special
The Kodava hockey festival was started in the year 1997 with the intent of creating a platform in which the different Kodava families can get together over a common passion – Hockey. The love of the sport and the talent within Kodagu generated the motivation to start this tounament first at Karada hosted by the Pandanda family. It attracted around 60 families. Every year one of the familes is handed the baton to organize the tournament and the trophy and tournament takes the name of the family, as in the current case – the Kuppanda Cup.
Rules governing the tournament, say that all team members must belong to the same family and participate in a full hockey attire. Women are permitted to be a part of the team.
As the tournament grew in size it attracted a lot of spectator interest. It also drew the attention of the Guinness World book of records for having 300 teams participate.
Participants and spectators enjoy the event due to the tough competition, electrifying atmosphere, unique festival experience, a well run competition , family rivalry, and reasonable prize money.
It’s a family event that attracts the public!
The soul of the event is the family. The Kodavas are a patrilineal ethno lingual group from the region of Kodagu who natively speak the kodava language. Traditionally they were land owning agriculturists with martial traditions
By religion most of them are of the Hindu community. The kodava Hindus are a non Brahminical sect who believe more in reverence towards nature and their ancestors then in the strict following of the Vedic Hindu principles. Kodavas were called Kshatriya based on their legendary descent, the rights they held to carry arms from the ancient times and their military traditions. They practice family exogamy and caste endogamy. They also love their sports especially hockey.
The Kuppanda family
The Kuppanda family hails from the village of Nangalla, in VirajpetTaluk. Comprising of over 300 members, the Kuppanda family is led by their ‘Pattedara’ Mr. Kuppanda B Belliappa.
Having had quite a few members holding or held senior positions in the armed forces, the Kuppanada family prides itself for being a family that till date encourages its young to do for the nation as all their ancestors did in the past.
Sports and Games run in the blood of the Kuppandas, ensuring that they actively participate in any sport that comes their way Having had quite a few family members represent the state and country in various games in the past, the Kuppandas encourage their young to take up sports as a part of their daily life.
From a small beginning in 1997 in which 60 teams vied for the Pandanda Cup, to the Thatanda cup in 2014, in which 242 teams participated, the Kodava Hockey festival has had an illustrious past. It’s been in existence for 18 years. The Kuppanda Cup 2015, in which 300 teams are slated to participate is the 19th edition, and promises to be the best Kodava Hockey festival that has been conducted thus far.
Earlier Report:
Family hockey tournament ‘Kuppanda cup-2015’ kicks off
