Opinion | Muddanda Hockey Festival Organisers Defend Festival Amid Criticism

Disclaimer: This article is an opinion piece written by Rashin Subbaiah Muddanda, President of the Muddanda Family Sports & Cultural Charitable Trust. It is a personal response to various allegations made against the Muddanda Hockey Festival. The Kodagu Express has published this article with only minor editorial adjustments for clarity, while retaining the original tone and content. The views, facts, and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of The Kodagu Express. We are not responsible for the accuracy of any claims made, nor for any factual errors, grammatical or spelling mistakes, or other issues present in the article. Readers are advised to treat this as the author’s personal perspective.

The Kodagu Express stands by its opinion published under the headline ‘Muddanda Hockey Festival: A Grand Celebration Marred by Misplaced Priorities’ on April 29, 2025. At the same time, The Kodagu Express always gives opportunity and space to all voices, since we are committed to journalistic ethics and principles.

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Written by:  Rashin Subbaiah Muddanda

(President - Muddanda Family Sports & Cultural Charitable trust)

We, Muddanda family way a back in the year 2001, i.e., during our teen age had a dream to organise Kodava Hockey Festival, but the thought remained as thought & we never perceived it.

In the year 2022, when we approached Kodava Hockey Academy and gave the request letter, we got the allotment /confirmation in the year 2023. We were very fortunate to conduct the tournament in the year 2025 which is the 25th year Silver Jubilee Kodava Hockey Festival. We got tremendous support & guidance from KHA . We are very thankful for the same.

We, Muddanda family started preparing for the event & each one of us contributed very diligently to make the event highly successful.

We Introduced some new innovative programms such as

The highest number of family teams were registered in our Muddanda Kodava Hockey Festival, which is the history in the Kodava hockey festival i.e., 396 team 

The 25th year Muddanda Kodava Hockey Festival is conducted & celebrated at the Jewel of Kodagu, that is our own Madikeri city.

For the first time in the history of Kodava hockey, the Olympic torch theme was presented by us where we visited all the previously hosted 24 Kodava families’ Aiynmane covering close to 260 Km (128 by run – 132 by vehicle ). While visiting their Aiynmane we received very grand welcome from each and every family. We Muddanda Okka were very privileged and thankful to all the families for their kind hospitality.

For the First time in the history Kodava Hockey Festival, we, Muddanda Okka introduced –

Women hockey 5A side – 

For the first time we introduced Zero waste awareness & program which was successfully launched in the event in collaboration with Vendta trust for segregation of wet & dry waste. We totally took the control on the plastic usage and gave importance to bio-degrable waste. This very initiative helped in saving 20 plus massive trees & carbon footprint has been reduced by 5%.

For the first time in the hockey festival, we introduced a Quiz among the families, we had more than 30 families participated in the Quiz Competition. The whole objective for having the Quiz Competition was to bring our history & culture live and carry to next generation.

The Dog’s show was held in association with Animal husbandry department which became a very successful program.

For the first time we have included Boddi Namme in the event to nurture the talent & passion of people from Kodagu. The Objective of having Boddi Namme was because in recent the 10 years we have witnessed many Indians winning medals in the Olympic and the international events, so, we wish to see someday any Kodava brings medal to our country.

Our Kodava Hockey Festival is the world’s largest event and for the first time we introduced video referral like an international format to conduct fair & transparency tournament.

With a road safety we had a walk /run from Cariappa circle to Cariappa college in collaboration with NGO mind & matter district administration, district police, NHAI etc.

WORLD BOOK OF RECORDS – We, Muddanda Okka, always wanted to compliment our community, we don’t believe in competition, breaking our own records, we made attempts for world books of records, we were able bring glory with a Global record to Kodava hockey. We received the World Books of Records for both Men`s & Women`s.

Our team worked day and night on documentation & sharing details for the world books of records team members, we have shared 8 minutes Videos & match summary report with details as per their format 

Regarding few reports on the final day of the Muddanda hockey festival, the match was scheduled at 12:30 pm as per the data from technical table , delay was there by 1;30 minutes. It rained only 3 times in Madikeri over the period of 30 days , that too 2 time rained after 5:30pm & 4th time rained unfortunately on finals .

Guest arrived on time & they have not delayed , entire district should we happy , more then 17% cabinet of Government of Karnataka was present & witnessed the match and they understood the importance of the event & passion of the people for the sports , it may help in bring some good infrastructure for sports in the district.

It was mislead as ' Is This Hockey festival or Political Rally ?? - it was not !! Because we had Government representatives & elected representatives , IAS & IPS .

No, one spoke more than 10 minutes, it was Truly an ‘act of GOD/nature’, which is /was any one's controls , per say Organizers , KHA , Government , media , players nor spectators . One point to be noted was , it rained only with 700/800 meters radius only, not even to entire city !!  can anyone do anything ? If it rained at 12 noon ? Then what would be the question ?

Regarding the allegations on the  Muddanda hockey festival 2025 was derailed by political showboating , sidelining players & true achievers , once celebration of kodava sports , it is now stage for VIPS , Sponsors & social media influencers-I am shocked to see this statement.- 

We had made separate gallery for achievers , may be this is first time. Our invitation had three Olympians from different sports - Ashwini Ponnappa ( Badminton ), Ashwini Nachappa ( Athletic) M M Somaiah ( Hockey ). We placed the chairs in the front row for them with names , our back row just had 3 chairs , they wanted to sit with legends & they told please we want to spend time with legends. They requested me , on chat during the stage program ,we don't want to talk , since so many Olympians are at the venue. We may be one of the first families give utmost respect to legends , achievers in the finals and took them on the open jeep with Doodi Koot Paat - playing highest respect.  

We have highest honors for the achievers , by making them to sit on the chairs on the center of the ground & handed over them a momentum  ( our oddi kathi ) - Please understand , event can be held only because of sponsor , without sponsorship we can't run , due to large scale and high expenses , it will be in cores of rupees we need to spend , even then we did not call even single sponsor on stage to sit on the final day for the event. Again, your team is misleading the public Olympian Padmashree awardee was the first one to speak on the stage , after the welcome note & presidential address.

Regarding the Dance performance on the final day event-we had quite a meaning full Kodava traditions , we are first family to give Balle Honour to all 24 families who organized the event from 1997 to 2024 during the inauguration . During the  womens hockey  , we had  Ummath aat   &  guest were Kodava achievers Padmashree awardee Mrs Rani Machaiah & International basketball players Mrs . Pusha Kuttanna . Kids performed deviational song of Lord Shiva , now please don't tell Shiva is not Kodavas God ,  he is God of God , also they danced for our Hokey anthem ( hockey anthem again first time in Kodava hockey Namme ) & ended with traditional Kodava volaga . Please spare them.

We are the first family to bring Kodava quiz to make sure our next generation will have fair knowledge about our cultural and tradition and important people & Kodava achievers.

With great respect & honor , we presented Portrait of Shri Pandanda Kuttappa to his son  Pandanda Bopanna , we wanted present it during the final ceremony , due to rain we are forced to give it on the stage , we have not left anyone in horning & remembering who contributed to the Kodava hockey festival  

We have spent more than a year preparing for the event , leaving our family , professional life , burning midnight oil and going through  tremors  over past 12 months , it is not easy to bring in lot of  initiatives  and executive with perfection and within the defined time frame , we are the one to bring lot of good thought & connecting all 24 families who hosted the event from the year on year  , we are the family who gave platform to our own kodavathis to show their talent & come & play in the  world's largest event  , we are the one who gave  opportunity for the talented young guys to take part in shooting competition and given them the sliver trophy's. We are the one who brought national , state level & local cyclist to take part in the cyclothon. We are the one gave the high value prize money to the winning team.

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