JOIN USPandanda Kuttappa, the brainchild of the popular Kodava Hockey Festival, passed away at his residence here on Thursday. He was 85 and is survived by two daughters and a son.
Kuttappa, a former first-division hockey referee, conducted the inaugural tournament in 1997 with the help of his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa. Through the tournament, Kuttappa aimed to bring all the Kodavas together under one roof and preserve the rich hockey culture of the district.
Held annually during April-May, the festival has grown to become the most popular event of the Kodavas. Since the first edition, which saw 60 teams competing, the meet has got only bigger. In 2017, with 323 teams participating, the festival entered the Limca Book of Records.
After its initial editions, the meet became a platform to unearth young talent as well. To groom the gifted players recognised in the Festival, Kuttappa, a retired State Bank of India manager, established the Kodava Hockey Academy.
“It’s sad day for hockey lovers,” said AB Subbaiah, the former India hockey goalkeeper, on Kuttappa's demise “He has done a lot to the Festival. When he started this, he didn’t think it would become as famous as it is today. Full credit to his hard work,” said the former Olympian and coach, who is now the secretary general of Hockey Karnataka.
Subbaiah said with Kuttappa’s passing, the tournament will not be the same. “Kuttappa had only hockey in mind. Now with others to deal with, organising the event will not be free of challenges,” he said.
The Festival was a starting point of careers of India internationals Pradhan Somanna, Nikkin Thimmaiah and SK Uthappa. “We in Kodagu are fascinated by hockey. When I represented the country I thanked him (Kuttappa) for helping me achieve my dream,” said Nikkin.
“In all my interactions with him, he always told me that he wanted young players from Kodagu to go on and play for India. I owe my career to the Festival,” he added.
Last year, the tournament was cancelled due to the floods that ravaged Kodagu. The coronavirus outbreak forced the organisers to call off the meet this year. The Kulletira Cup was the last meet held under Kuttappa's supervision in 2018.
Fondly known as 'Kuttani', he was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2015.