Monthly Archives: June 2014

Football has been my life: Rufus D’Souza

Sports
Rufus D'Souza was the captain of the Kerala State hockey team in 1972 but switched over to football and has been associated with football in the State for the last 44 years. / File Photo / The Hindu
Rufus D’Souza was the captain of the Kerala State hockey team in 1972 but switched over to football and has been associated with football in the State for the last 44 years. / File Photo / The Hindu

With 2014 FIFA World Cup kicking off next week it is time to train the lights on some football greats of Kerala. A name that stands out along the stalwarts is 84-year-old Rufus D’Souza. His distinction is in having played hockey and football with equal felicity for the State. In 1954 Rufus captained Travancore Cochin in hockey. In 1960 he represented Tamil Nadu for both the games. In 1972 he was captain of the Kerala State hockey team but switched over to football and has been associated with football in the State for the last 44 years. Today, Rufus is known for his playing skills and also as a coach who has produced stars for the country. He is present daily on the Parade Ground, Fort Kochi, every morning training kids of different ages. No wonder he is popularly known as ‘Football Uncle’. Rufus is looking forward to the football extravaganza and places his odds on Uruguay this time. The game has been my life, declares Rufus. Excerpts from an interview with him:

Your early initiation into the game?

I started playing the game as a seven-year-old at Parade Ground. We were encouraged to play hockey and football. The late K.M. Aboo was my coach. I played for his club – Youngsters Football Club. In hockey, I was coached by C.R. Timmins and J.R. Jackson of Kerala Wanderers Sports Club. Aboo is the man who guided me and many other players to reach the top level of the game.

The Parade Ground is historic. It has been your playing and training ground. Your comments?

I began and ended my playing career at the Parade Ground. In the early 50s the ground was the centre for British parade. In those days many foreign warships came here. The English wanted a ground to play rugby, football, cricket and hockey. The ground was converted into a playing ground by bringing the grass from Australia. R.J. White and R.D. Bake were the two Englishmen who gave the ground a billiard table top finish.

Every year before the monsoon the English used to play rugby matches. Once the rains began nobody was permitted to play or work on the ground for the next two months. It was so at least till I left for Madras in 1960.

Some of the tournaments played here were the Reda Cup (All India Hockey tournament), Ranji Trophy cricket matches in which Balan Pandit and Ravi Achan played, and the All Kerala Luke Memorial Football Tournament were held on this ground. In 1948, Olympic gold medallist Nandy Singh of the Indian Navy, representing the Southern Naval Command, played in the Reda Cup.

Some of your memorable sporting moments?

The biggest moment for me was in 1957 when the All India School National Hockey Tournament was held at the Maharaja’s Ground, Ernakulam. There I met the 1956 Olympian gold medallist R.S. Gentle, the world’s greatest penalty corner specialist. He came to Ernakulam as a guest of the Bombay hockey team. Gentle played under Captain Balbir Singh Sr and scored the winning goal against Pakistan in the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne. I invited him to Cochin to be the guest at a match between Gymkhana Club and Cochin Select. On entering the ground he told me that this is an Olympic park. He took the stick from C.R. Timmins. The goalkeeper was the late Percy Sparrow. Gentle asked the goalkeeper to move away from the post. He said he would take a shot in which the ball would deflect after hitting the crossbar. We waited and watched this spellbound. It was hard to believe.

Two British internationals Billy Wright and Tommy Walker (England World Cup soccer players) had visited the Parade Ground. Walker who had broken six wooden cross bars said after looking at the cross bar that it was six inches low. We measured and found him to be correct. I can’t forget such golden memories… of such greats visiting the Parade Ground and I standing next to them.

Tell us about Santos Club that you are associated with?

Santos Club was established in 1973 and was registered with the Kerala Football Association in 1980. The players who made Santos famous are P.P. Tobias, who captained Junior India at the Asian Youth Championship (1984-85), Kerala Police player K.A. Anson who played for India in the Nehru Cup, Feroz Sharif, goalkeeper who played for India in Pre-Olympics hockey, the late Bobby Hamilton who played for Youth India, Sebastian Netto, goalkeeper, who played for India, M.M. George, who played for Youth India, M.M. Sebastian who captained the sub-junior State team, Jacob Varghese, captain of the Indian Railways side and Anil Kumar who played for Kerala in the Santosh Trophy.

What are your coaching principles?

I teach my boys only discipline — punctuality, personality, behaviour and fair play.

source: http://www. thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Priyadershini  S / Kochi – June 05th, 2014

A Tree-loving Ascetic’s Efforts Give Birth to Eden on a Hilltop

Agriculture, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

Thiruvananthapuram : 

Living the life of an ascetic is not that easy. But for P Gopalakrishna Swami, who started the Jyothipeetom Ashram on the Thirichittapara hilltop at Thannimoodu near Nedumangadu, life has been a series of challenges for the last 33 years. One may not find anything to be excited about the ascetic in him but his hard work in developing the rocky hilltop into a garden of rare species of trees would leave anyone wonderstruck with admiration for the 78-year-old man.

The real wonder remains with his selection of rare species of trees and medicinal plants. ‘Athi’, ‘Ithi’, ‘Kunthirikkam’, ‘Veppu’, ‘Aryaveppu’, ‘Njara’, Bamboo, ‘Karpooram’, ‘Sampranimaram’, ‘Njaval’, ‘Elanji’, ‘Erukku’, ‘Plassu’, ‘Vellanochi’, ‘Kadukka’, ‘Nelli’, ‘Pulinchi’, ‘Garudakodi’, ‘Parpadakamaram’, ‘Nagagandhi’, ‘Punna’ are some of the exotic species forming the lush green cover on a major part of the rock. Sandalwood, red sandalwood, ‘Neelakadampu’, ‘Arassu’, ‘Kallarassu’, ‘Kattikodi’ (the plantwhich dilutes water), ‘Kallal’ and even foreign plants like African cherry and ‘Rudrakasha’ have been grown at the site. Scores of other medicinal and fruit trees offer food to the monkeys that inhabit the area and keep the tree-lover company. “I purchased one acre of land on the hilltop and a pond was made to store rainwater. Over 150 loads of rock were used to level one side of the terrain and two to five feet of earth was spread over the entire area to prepare the ground,” he recollects. Around 16 years ago, a Hanuman temple was also constructed at the site.

As the rocky hilltop was not conducive to growing even common garden plants, his effort was to develop a layer of earth on the rock surface to allow the tree saplings to sprout roots and hold firm against the whistling winds on the hilltop.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by N V Ravindranathan Nair / June 05th, 2014

Special Machine for Pokkali Farming Launched

Agriculture, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature
S Sarma MLA inaugurating the land preparation machine suitable for Pokkali wetlands at a function organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra near Edavanakkad, Kochi, on Tuesday | express
S Sarma MLA inaugurating the land preparation machine suitable for Pokkali wetlands at a function organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra near Edavanakkad, Kochi, on Tuesday | express

Kochi  :

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of CMFRI here has launched a land preparation machine suitable for pokkali wetlands.

Inaugurating the launch ceremony near Edavanakkad on Tuesday, S Sharma MLA said that mechanisation of pokkali fields is the need of the hour for the existence of this traditional organic farming system.

According to the KVK, the machine will be great for sustainable pokkali farming, as skilled labourers are not available in many places and this will reduce the expense.

The field capacity of the mini tiller is 1.5 acres in eight hours at a cost of `2,500.

Whereas 15 labourers are required to cover this much area in the same time for a cost of `12,000.

A group of 15 Kudumbasree women from each block panchayat, where pokkali farming exists, will be trained and developed into mechanised pokkali task force.

The KVK has already received funding from the Mahila Kisan Sahshaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) through district Kudumbasree Mission for this initiative.

The KVK had conducted extensive scientific studies on the performance of the machine, popularly known as garden tiller or mini tiller, earlier this month in different pokkali fields.

This 60 kg, 5.5 HP machine requires field dry to the extent that a person can walk over the field without sinking into it.

Most of the pokkali fields would get dry to this extent naturally if the previous shrimp farms are vacated in time to facilitate draining of water during the first week of May. However in certain fields, pumping out of water might be required to dry out the field.Programme coordinator Shinoj Subramanian introduced the machine to a group of pokkali farmers and Padasekhara Samiti office-bearers in the presence of grama panchayat ward member Sajith, technical experts from KVK Pushparaj Anjelo, P A Vikas and  Agricultural Officer Serine Philip.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kochi  / by   Express News Service  / June 04th, 2014

Zamorin Manavikraman Raja dies

About Kerala, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

Zamorin Manavikraman Raja was under treatment following old age-related ailments. He breathed his last around 2.55pm.

Manavikraman Raja was annointed the Zamorin after the death of the then Zamorin P K S Raja in March 2013.

Born in Thiruvannur Puthiya Kovilakom as the son of Kuttimbatti Thamburatti and Paderi Shakran Namboodirippad on May 10, 1920, Manavikraman Raja had his education at the Zamorin’s School and took his BSc degree from Annamalai University. He started his career as a schoolteacher at Zamorin’s High School and later joined the Union ministry of commerce in 1947. He then moved to the ministry of foreign affairs and retired from service in 1980 as third secretary from the Indian Embassy in erstwhile Czechoslovakia. He had also served in Canada, Lebanon, Phillipines and many other countries.

As Zamorin, he was the trustee of a number of temples in Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad and active in the social and cultural realms.

People from various walks of life paid tributes at the Thiruvannur Puthan Kovilakom where the body was kept. The last rites would be performed at Thiruvannur Kovilakam around 8am on Wednesday.

K C Unnianujan Raja of Kottakkal Kizhakke Kovilakom will succeed Manavikraman Raja as the next Zamorin.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / April 30th, 2014

Lessons in Alzheimer’s care from India

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technology, World Opinion
A team from Dubai with inmates at the Alzheimer's Centre in the city. / Photo: Vipin Chandran / The Hindu
A team from Dubai with inmates at the Alzheimer’s Centre in the city. / Photo: Vipin Chandran / The Hindu

The Indian model in Alzheimer’s disease care has attracted attention and is going on to become a model to be followed by other countries.

A three-member delegation from Dubai was here recently to learn from the Indian experience of care-giving for Alzheimer’s patients.

The disease affects the memory of the patient and caring for the person becomes an emotional trauma for the family. The disease is more prevalent among the ageing population.

The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), over the last 20 years, has created a model for many others to follow. Learning from the ARDSI model, the Dubai health authority under the Dubai government has evinced interest in implementing programmes for the care of elderly.

“We have only begun the programme last year”, said Salwa Abdulla Alsuwaidi, director and specialist senior registrar (Geriatrics). “We have a very limited programme in geriatric care, but we want to expand it on a model that suits our culture,” she said. “Families take care of the elderly like in India whereas elderly care in the West is institutionalised,” she added. A support group for Alzheimer’s disease has been formed and through this group the government plans to educate people on how to handle patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

According to Dr. Alsuwaidi, the caregiver training programme being run by the ARDSI could be replicated in Dubai. The programme devised by the ARDSI equips caregivers with skills to handle patients.

Though the elderly in Dubai make only about 5 per cent of the population, the demographics indicate a rise in the population of the elderly to 19 per cent by 2050. Life expectancy has gone up to 77 years for females and 74 years to males. The Dubai government was proactive in learning about the needs of the future, she said.

The ARDSI was doing a lot of community research from which lessons could be learnt, said Mohammed Elnoamani, head of the medical department, Dubai Community Centre for the Elderly.

Jacob K. Roy, chairman of the Alzhiemer’s Disease International (ADI), told The Hindu that the exchange between the two countries was an initiative of the ADI and the initiative was bringing several countries together.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Shyama Rajagopal / Kochi – May 31st, 2014

From Beaches of Vettucaud to Midfield Magic

Sports
Jobby Justin | EXPRESS
Jobby Justin | EXPRESS

Thiruvananthapuram  :

His curly hairdo kept back with a sweatband, Jobby Justin is sure to grab more attention than any of his teammates while lining up to play football. But with his skills and ability to create goal-scoring opportunities on the field, it is hard not to notice that there is more to this youngster than style.

In the ongoing 10th SBT G V Raja All-India Football Tournament here, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) reached the final overcoming tournament favourites AG’s Office in the semifinal and Jobby was instrumental in scoring a couple and assisting four goals.

Having joined KSEB only four months ago, the 21-year-old has already established a place in KSEB’s midfield.

“He is a very hard worker with immense talent and a powerful shot in him,” says M Rajeev Kumar, coach of KSEB.

For a player who has only recently made the switch from the flanks as a wing back to the midfield, Jobby has adapted very well. “I love playing in midfield helping teammates to score and scoring a few myself. The coach has given me all the freedom to play which helps a lot,” Jobby said.

Jobby grew up playing football on the beaches of Vettucaud but did not take the game seriously until his eighth standard when he joined St Joseph’s HSS. Playing for St Mary’s Club, he was already being noticed in the city’s football circles.

“I was fortunate enough to learn under footballers like Sylvester Ignatius, Earnest and Vinu Jose,” Jobby said. After joining MG College here, the youngster continued to appear in tournaments including TNIE GOAL 2013.

Soon, the opportunity to represent Kerala under-19 team came in the Junior National Championship held at Kolkata. As a wing back, he also finished runners-up in the all-India inter-university tournament with the Kerala University before signing as a guest player for Travancore Titanium last year before joining KSEB.

“We are a young team, but the seniors are always helping and motivating us. There is a winning mentality in the team,” Jobby said. But his biggest challenge yet would come on Monday when he plays the live-wire of KSEB midfield against the intimidating opposition of State Bank of Travancore in the final of the GV Raja tournament.

And the youngster has only one target set in his mind for Monday. “We have reached this far. So there is no question other than going all out to win the tournament,” Jobby said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Adwaidh Rajan / June 02nd, 2014

I am… Radhika M, Kalaripayattu Instructor

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Sports
Radhika M, Kalaripayattu instructor in action / Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup / The Hindu
Radhika M, Kalaripayattu instructor in action / Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup / The Hindu

“I come from a family actively into Kalaripayattu, so my lessons began early. My father, Swami Gurukkal of the Hindustan Kalari Sangam, introduced me to this art. I don’t remember exactly, but I must have been around seven years of age when I began my lessons. Classes would begin by six in the morning and go on for an hour. On some weekends, father would make us practise till noon.

While initially, I learnt Kalaripayatty because it was part of my routine, I grew attached to it as I grew older. The more deeply I got involved, the more I learnt and the more I grew to love it. For me, Kalaripayattu is spiritual. It may be perceived as a martial art, but for me, the fight happens within. The battle is to keep the mind under control and to stay in good health. The annihilation is of enemies within. But it is years of research and involvement with the form that has led me to this realisation. When you stand on the shore, you see only the waves. But one has to swim in the sea for it to reveal its treasures to you. It works similarly for Kalaripayattu.

Classes at the sangam begin at 6 a.m. and I am in the kalari for three to four hours a day. Over the years, I have seen changes. When I was young and learning Kalaripayattu, there were only couple of girls in the kalari. Now, we have about 35. Increased health awareness is drawing many to the kalari.

It takes a lifetime to have a wholesome knowledge of Kalaripayattu. There are four different stages to learning it — Meipayattu, Kolthari, Angathari and Verum kai prayogam. As someone who started young, I went through these stages while growing up. It will take a student at least 15 months to master each stage. In Kalaripayattu, one has to practise what one has learnt so far each day. One begins withvalathu-nere (the right leg up movement) and for every session thereafter, we begin with thevalathunere and go through all the movements learnt thus far. This regimented, dedicated practice brings perfection. Since I started young, I never experienced fear, nor did any movement appear daunting. When I do the sword movements, others get apprehensive. But for me, it is something that I have done every day of my life.

Apart from teaching, another important area is treatment. I was taught the finer aspects of kalari treatment by my father and now I am actively into it. People come to us mostly with bone and joint problems. They come from abroad too, curious to know about Kalaripayattu. We also receive a lot of theatre students who are keen to adapt kalari movements into theatre.

I believe Kalaripayattu is performed to arouse interest in people and lure them to this spiritual form. So I don’t consider it exactly a performance-art. But even if one takes it so, the avenues for performance in Kerala are few. It is better outside Kerala. Whenever I have demonstrated outside Kerala, people, especially women, come and tell me how proud they felt to watch me perform.”

A column on the men and women who make Kozhikode what it is.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / as told to  P.  Anima / Kozhikode –  May,  30th, 2014