Hockey
Kodava Hockey Festival 2023: World's biggest field hockey event returns
In Kodagu, Hockey is not just a sport or a mode of entertainment. It is an important part of the culture.
Kodagu is one of the most popular destinations in southern India. Nestled in the green Western Ghats, Kodagu or Coorg is well known for its coffee plantations and for being a paradise for nature lovers. Kodavas, the native to the land of Kodagu, are a martial race known to worship weapons such as swords, arrows, bows, and guns.
Kodagu also boasts of one of the richest hockey cultures in India. The district has produced a line of superstars who have represented India at all levels from the Olympics to World Cups. From the veterans of the past like M.P. Ganesh, M. M. Somaya A. B. Subbaiah, B. P. Govinda, and Arjun Halappa to new-generation superstars like S. K. Uthappa, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Nithin Thimmaiah, V. R. Raghunath and S. V. Sunil, they have enthralled the crowd alike.
Kodagu is home to the Kodava Hockey Festival which is an annual hockey festival started in 1997 by Pandanda Kuttappa, an ex-first-division hockey referee who started the tournament with just 60 teams. The 22nd edition saw 329 teams of different families participating in the tournament. This festival is recognized as one of the largest field hockey tournaments in the world that has entered the Limca Book of Records.
The tournament is making a comeback after four years due to floods and a pandemic-enforced break. Over 336 teams are expected to be taking part in the upcoming tournament, which will see around 5000 plus players, making it one of the largest tournaments in the world.
The tournament will be held from the 18th of March to the 9th of April 2023. It is expected that more than 3,00,000 spectators and tourists will turn up for 23 days of hockey, celebration, and entertainment.
Appachettolanda Hockey Festival
The Appachettolanda family are the hosts of the upcoming Kodava Hockey Festival and are sparing no effort to ensure that the 23rd Kodava Hockey Festival is an enormous success. The hosts have been actively involved in promoting environmental conservation and sustainable practices during the tournament. They are also planning exclusive visibility to the sponsors of the events through large signage in towns, on ground ball stoppers, banners and a range of social media exposure over contests and engagements.
Stalwarts of Indian hockey are gracing the inauguration and finals of the tournament with their presence. A match between the India Junior team against the Karnataka Men's team will kick-start the festival on 18th March 2023 with the presence of the Chief Minister of Karnataka and a lot of dignitaries and celebrities.
Each year, the tournament is organized by a different Kodava family (okka) and the name of the family is given as the name of the tournament. While the first one was organized by the Pandanda okka and was known as Pandanda Cup, in 2018 the Kulletira okka organized the Kulletira Cup. The organizing family arranges the finances and infrastructure needed for the festival which is crowdfunded by the community and sponsorships from major brands for branding.
Prizes and Goodies Galore
A lot of brands are coming forward with freebies to the audience and the players. Exclusive social media contests are expected and prizes like hockey sticks, sporting footwear and electronic gadgets are being announced over their social handles. A lot of travel influencers are expected to be at the festival and a lot of free stays at participating homestays could be won by lucky followers of the social handle Appachettolanda_hockey.
Celebrities raising awareness about the Kodava Hockey Festival
In a first, a lot of celebrities are seen sharing videos in support of the event over the social handles, which are catching the attention of the people. It is raising interests in brands like Educational Institutions, Realty, Automobile, Mobile, Tourism and a range of businesses to target attention of the tourists and the people of the district through this hockey festival.
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