Hockey India condoles demise of Kodava Hockey Festival co-founder
NEW DELHI: Hockey India on Friday condoled the death of Pandanda Kuttappa, a legendary figure in the region of Coorg and the co-founder of the famous Kodava Hockey Festival. Kuttappa died of old age-related problems on Thursday and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. He was 85. Kuttappa, a retired employee of State Bank of India, was known for being the pioneer of the Kodava Hockey Festival, a family hockey tournament exclusively for the Kodava families which started in 1997. He co-founded the event along with his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa. Paying rich tribute to the avid hockey fan, HI recalled his contribution to the sport and his crucial role in popularising the game in the southern region and further contributing to popularity of Coorg, the breeding ground for hockey in the country. (PTI)
Military accolade for Spurs’ Son
SEOUL: Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min was named one of the top five recruits in his unit as he finished three weeks of compulsory military training in South Korea on Friday. South Korea’s marine corps posted pictures of Son wielding an M-16 assault rifle and saluting on their Facebook page as he completed his stint at a boot camp. All able-bodied South Korean men are obliged to serve in the military for nearly two years, making up the bulk of Seoul’s 600,000-strong forces — who face off against North Korea’s army of 1.3 million. But Son — the top Asian goalscorer in Premier League history, and the Asian Football Confederation’s reigning international player of the year — was in the South Korean team that earned an exemption by winning gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. The Spurs star broke down in tears of joy after the 2-1 extra-time win over Japan, which meant he could fulfil his obligations with just three weeks’ basic training and around 500 hours of community service. In April he reported to a marines camp on the island of Jeju for the basic training, which involved lengthy hikes, as well as tear-gas training and rifle practice. He was judged among the five best recruits out of 157 on his course, a spokesperson for the Republic of Korea Marine Corps told AFP. (AFP)
Refund to all French Open tickets
PARIS: All ticket holders for the French Open, postponed from this month until September because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be refunded, the French Tennis Federation announced. “The current health situation linked to COVID-19 and the extent of this pandemic are causing uncertainty for all events bringing together the public, all over the world,” the federation said in a message sent to all people who had bought the tournament tickets. “We have chosen to postpone Roland-Garros until the end of September and, assuming our responsibility, we are currently working in collaboration with the French authorities to jointly define the appropriate measures that will guarantee the health and safety of all people present. “Pending having drawn up all the outlines, the French Tennis Federation has decided to cancel and refund all tickets already purchased.” Roland-Garros was initially scheduled for May 24-June 7, but has been pushed back to likely run between September 27-October 11. (AFP)
Fitness regime impresses coach
NEW DELHI: India’s Under-17 women’s football team head coach Thomas Dennerby is impressed by the work put in by his players who are training at their homes by following the fitness regime laid down by him. The age group FIFA showpiece was to be held in India in November but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed the lives of more than 2.5 lakh people globally and over 1800 in India. With the country in the midst of a coronavirus-forced lockdown, the players have returned home, and so has Dennerby. But before getting back to Sweden, he had given his wards a fitness regime to follow at their homes. The AIFF has also arranged a video conference of the players with the experienced Swedish coach as well as the support staff. “The girls already had a very detailed fitness programme which was provided to them earlier. They report to Per (Karlsson, the team’s fitness coach) and all other staff also follows,” Dennerby said. “I’m really impressed. With the players,” said Dennerby who has previously led the senior national women’s teams of Sweden and Nigeria at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Dennerby said the players need to be encouraged to maintain calm and not worry about missing training. (PTI)