Sportspersons from Kodagu have made the district proud in various events in the past and the tradition continues. Four young candidates from Kodagu have won ‘black belts’ in the Taekwondo recently.
Achievers
V. Kushal, a Std VIII student from Shantiniketan High School at Kodagaralli, K.S.Bhavyashree Alva, Std X from the Government High School, Galibeedu, Madettira Prajwal Thimmaiah from St. Michael’s High School here and V. R. Arjun, who has passed his II PUC exams from the Government Junior College here, are the ‘little champions’, who have been conferred black belts after they passed the examinations held in Bangalore recently. It is a double delight for Arjun as he has enlisted himself in the army too.
Mr. Lokesh Rai, trainer, said that the basic difference between Taekwondo and Karate was in the use of technique. In Taekwondo, legs were used frequently but it was more of hands in Karate. Additionally, headgear and other safety items would be used in the Taekwondo competitions, unlike Karate. Each trainee is asked to take exams once in four to five months and awarded designated belts, starting from yellow, green, green-I, blue, blue-I, red, red-I along with certificates by the Karnataka Taekwondo Federation. Black belts were given by the World Taekwondo Federation.