Why Karnataka’s Coorg is no more the ‘cradle of Indian hockey’

Aprameya C
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One reason for hockey getting a not so enthusiastic response in Coorg in the last few years is attributed to the hugely popular Kodava Hockey Festival, which began in 1997, not being held for four years due to COVID-19. Photo: On arrangement

In August 2021, India’s 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal ended with the men’s team claiming the bronze after defeating Germany 5-4 in a thriller in Tokyo, Japan. While the entire country celebrated this moment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the euphoria carried a tinge of disappointment in a Karnataka district.

Kodagu or Coorg, which is 250 kilometres from Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru, was once known as the “cradle of Indian hockey”. When the Manpreet Singh-led side gave India the first hockey medal at the Olympics since 1980, there were no players from Coorg or even from Karnataka state in the national squad.

The district has produced some of the finest hockey players in India who went on to excel on the international stage – be it the Olympics, World Cup, Asia Cup and many other tournaments.

In August 2021, when India’s 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal ended, while the entire country celebrated, the euphoria carried a tinge of disappointment in Karnataka's Coorg. Twitter/Hockey India
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