'Earmark Rs 5 crore in budget for Kodava family hockey'

Napoklu Kodava Samaja and various Kodava families have submitted a memorandum to two MLAs and two MLCs from the district, to urge the state government, to earmark Rs 5 crore in the state budget for the Kodava family hockey utsava.

The Kodava hockey festival is projected as a promotion of Kodava culture and tradition. The government should earmark Rs 5 crore in the budget, they demanded.

The Kodava family hockey had even entered the world records and has been contributing to the sports arena of the country, they said.

In the Kulletira Hockey festival held in April and May 2018, a total of 334 teams had taken part and is a record, stated the memorandum.

More than 500 hockey players from this tiny district have played in the state, national and international tournaments. Kodava family hockey has even entered the Limca Book of Records.

The hockey tournament is being organised for the last 21 years and more than 6,000 players take part during each Kodava family hockey tournament.

The Kodava families spend crores of rupees to host the month-long tournament. To promote the Kodava culture and tradition, the government should earmark Rs 5 crore for the tournament in the budget every year, stated the memorandum.

Napoklu had hosted the Kodava family tournament for the highest number of times. The budget should also earmark funds for constructing a stadium in Napoklu, the memorandum further stated.

Responding to the memorandum, MLAs K G Bopaiah and M P Appachu Ranjan, MLCs Sunil Subramani and Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah have promised to bring the issue to the notice of the chief minister.