Delegation urges CM to open sports varsity in every district

A delegation comprising representatives from various Kodava Samaja organisations met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday and submitted a memorandum, urging him to establish a sports university in every district, in association with the Central government, in order to encourage sports talents.

The delegation was led by district BJP executive committee member Telapanda Shivakumar Nanaiah and Bengaluru Kodava Samaja president M T Nanaiah.

The members also held a discussion with the chief minister on the occasion.

Explaining the need for a sports university, the delegation members said that Kodagu district had contributed thousands of sportspersons to the state and to the nation. Every village in Kodagu has sports talents in abundance.

But, the budding sportspersons lack encouragement, state-of-the-art facilities and professional training. This way, several sports talents are being ignored, they said.

Therefore, the state government and the Central government should jointly establish sports universities in every district, said the members.

Rs 5 crore sought

The delegation sought Rs 5 crore in the state budget for the Kodava family hockey tournament.

The members said that the Kodava family hockey tournament had even entered Limca Book of Records. The tournament should find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as well.

More than 6,000 players take part in the family hockey tournament being held in Kodagu every year for the past 21 years, they said.

“Many of these players have brought laurels to the state by representing Karnataka in national and international level hockey matches,” they added.

The members said that about crores of rupees is spent for the one-month long Kodava family hockey tournament every year. Therefore, the state government should separately earmark Rs 5 crore for the Kodava hockey tournament in the state budget every year, in order to encourage the sport.

The highest number of Kodava hockey festivals were held in Napoklu. It has been decided to conduct the fest for the next four years in Napoklu. Funds should be provided to construct a hockey ground in Napoklu, said the Kodava Samaja members.

The memorandum, along with the recommendation letters by Kodava Hockey Academy and MP Pratap Simha, were submitted to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on the occasion.

‘Provide grants’

Telapanda Shivakumar Nanaiah said that the government had earlier assured of providing Rs 40 lakh grants every year for the Kodava hockey festival.

But, the grants were not released, he said and requested the chief minister to release the grants.

After submitting the memorandum, Shivakumar Nanaiah said that the chief minister has responded positively to the requests by the Kodava Samaja delegation.

Napoklu Kodava Samaja secretary Kulletira Ajith Nanaiah, Karnataka Madhyama Academy former president M A Ponnappa, leaders Kulletira Binny Bopanna and Mukkatira Poonaccha were part of the delegation.