Sports
Karnataka holds the third place in the sports of India to-day. Through the paintings of pre-historic period we learn that sports and games were the favourite pastime of people in the state. Records and evidences are available to us from the Kadamba times. Gambling and dice playing were among the means of recreation. Manasollasa, a 12th century Sanskrit encyclopaedia gives a long list of games like playing at the swing, at sands, and in groves, boat race, dice. animinal fights etc. Several indigenous games played by boys and girls in groups became popular. They included Kalla-police, Koti-Eoli, Topiyata, Cat and Rat, Run for Supper, Sun and Shadow. Upparapatte, Kannamuchchale (hide and seek), Kuntebille, Gultario, Kabbaddi, Marakoti, Bugariyata, Haavu chelu, Chinni-dandu, horse-race, sack-race, potato race and the like. The indoor gime includcd Gajjigata, Chess, Ganjipa (a kind of card game), Adagulimane, Swargarohana (snake & ladder) , Chess etc.
Krishnaraja wodeyar III had written a book on the game of chess.
Of late Physical Education is being imparted on scientific principles. Several instit.utions like yogasnna centres, Sevadal, Scouts and Guides organisation and the NCC also train childrcn in physical exercise. Department of Education, Directorate of Youth Services and Sports, Director of Physical Education, attached to each University and several voluntary youth organisat.ions are also engaged in sports activities.
Wrestling has been a favourable sport from the ancient times. 'Garadimane' can be seen in all towns and big villages even today. The rulers of mysore were themselves good wrestlers. They even conduct wrestling competitions.Even today wrestling bouts were common .
The State has many athletes and players in different track and field events, and other popular games. Here is the list of names of the atheletes and players who have got Arjun and Ekalavya Awards.
Arjun Awardees
Athletics :
Kenneth Powell(1965), Panjil Mary(1978), Vandana Rao(1978), Ashwini Nachappa(1990).
Cricket :
E.A.S.Prasanna(1968), B.S.Chandrasekhar(1978),G.R.Vishwanath (1977),
Syvd Kirmani (1980), Shanta Rangaswamy (1976) Anil Kumble (1998) Rahul Dravid (1999)
Hockey :
Elvira Britto (1965), V.G.Peters (1966), M.P.Ganesh (1973), B.P.Govinda (1975)
Ball Badminion : Jayamma, Srinivas (1972)
Boxing : C.C.Machaiah (1978)
Snooker : Aravind Savoor (1978)
Table Tennis : Usha Sunder Raj (1966)
Kho-kho : S.Prakash
Power Lifting : P.K.Yeshodhar
Badminton : Shobha Murthy (1971) and Prakash Padukone (1972)
Men and Women Ekalavya Awardees for 1994 from Karnataka
| Athletics Ball Badminton Basket Ball Body building Billiards and Snooker Cricket Hockey Judo Kho-Kho Kabaddi Lawn Tennis Power Lifting Roller Skating Shuttle Badminton Swimming Table Tennis Weight lifting Volley Ball Women Cricket |
Arjun Devaiah and Sylvia Pias V.Dhruva and P.Asha Rajkumaran and Rekha Mallik Manjunath B.V.Srinivasa Murthy Anil Kumble K.S.Uthaiah Mirza Najih Aga and M.N.Triveni Channabasavaiah and T.H.Veena B.Gopal P.Srinath and Arathi Ponnappa Satish Kumar and A.Shashikala T.V.Sridevi K.P.Vasanth Kumar J.Abhijit and Sajini Shetty G.K.Vishwanath and S.Poorna Rao Shyamala Shetty Amit Roy Chowdary & T.Padmaja Kalpana |
Shyamala Shetty holds the world record in weight lifting (women) for the present.
Munivenkatappa (Kabaddi, Gold) Sylvina Pias (4 x 400 Relay, Gold) Varsha Shamarao Patki (Weight Lifting) Sabu Varki (Hockey)
Ravi Naikar (Hockey) Sumita Thakur (Judo)
Satish Rai (Weight Lifting) F.B.Shaila (Sprinter)
N.Laxmi (Weight Lifting). Jude Filix headed the 1ndian Hockey Team .
