Mumbai: Hockey in Mumbai could be a drifting ship, but not if the people of Coorg, from the southwest corner of Karnataka, can help it. Thanks to the Coorg Association of Mumbai, a set of Coorgis training at three different units in Bengaluru have teamed up to form the Coorg XI, Mumbai, and have been proving that they the side to beat.
The team's presence has added a Coorgi flavour to the championship, which is still to find a sponsor.
The lads on this team, whose average age is 20 years, have received good exposure and the experience of rubbing shoulders with senior players in the ongoing Gold Cup hockey tournament in the city.
These boys have made it to the semifinals, and have proved why hockey is special to them.
True to its name, Coorg or Kodagu as it is now known, nestled in the Western Ghats and bordered by Kerala on one side, is the heartland of Indian hockey.
“Yes, this is an opportunity for us and we are making the most of it,” said Sharath Somanna, skipper of the side which will take on Indian Navy to fight for a place in the final on Tuesday.
For the inhabitants of this district, which has churned out more than 50 international hockey players, the game is inextricably woven into the fabric of their everyday existence.
“It is a move by the Coorg Association of Mumbai, which has sponsored the team,” said M M Somaya, the former Indian field hockey player, who is also from Coorg.
“It is good to see these boys come up with some good hockey. More than winning the championship, it is the exposure that will enhance them,” said Somaya, who was a member of Indian squad which won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games.
Kodagu is no stranger to the game of hockey, producing a number of Olympians and World Cup winners in the men’s section and several reputed players in the women section. Sport is simply an extension of this community’s culture.
While many from Coorg have distinguished themselves in the Armed forces, their achievements in sport are no less commendable. There is an interesting annual festival in Coorg, 'Hockey Namme', a championship played between families. This month-long tourney attracts 300-odd teams.
People from the coffee estates and this hilly district are bound together by their special love for the game of hockey.
