From Tracks to Turf, Ashwini Nachappa Pushes to Revive Kodagu's Hockey Heritage

The global trend of a bottom-up approach in sports development through the grassroots-level infrastructural push, like Australia's community infrastructure program for hockey, sees its latest participant as the development of a regional hockey turf in Kodagu, Karnataka, commences.

Former national champion sprinter Ashwini Nachappa has returned to her roots to revamp the sport deeply ingrained in the region. Kodagu has been home to more than 50 international hockey stars, including M.P. Ganesh, M.M. Somaya, B.P. Govinda, and many more. Through her Ashwini Sports Foundation, the star athlete has provided a new artificial green turf and resolved to create improved architecture to aid the budding youth in the cradle of hockey.

The initiative has been in line with the centenary celebrations of Indian hockey, thereby boosting the sport through a regional-level infrastructural push. The new turf is being installed at the Karaumbiah Academy for Learning and Sports (KALS) in Gonikoppal of Kodagu district. The nonprofit organization responsible for the project's philanthropic funding is jointly run by Nachappa and her husband, Datha Karaumbiah, who is also a former hockey player.The synthetic turf shall enhance uniform ball acceleration and speed along with drainage systems, making high-performance facilities accessible to regional youth. It shall also protect the area's legacy as an emerging manufacturer of hockey champions.

Adjacent initiatives to celebrate 100 years of Indian hockey were government support for the largest family-based hockey tournament, called the Kodava Festival, and another synthetic hockey turf installation at the Bangalore-based Kanteerava Stadium. These together shall pay their due prestige for the sport at its 100-year milestone.