Boxing coach, mountain climber and yoga winner among 64 recipients

BENGALURU: The 64 Rajyotsava Award winners this year include Dronacharya awardee and India’s chief boxing coach CA Kuttappa from Kodagu, 16-year-old H Kushi, an international yoga exponent from Mysuru, and Nandita Nanjangoudar, the first Kannadiga mountaineer to climb the four highest peaks in four continents, from Hubballi.

This is the highest civilian award given by the state government. Chief minister BS Yediyurappa will give away the awards in Bengaluru on Kannada Rajyotsava, November 1. The award carries a prize of Rs 1 lakh, a 20gm gold medal and a citation.

“We’re checking the records but it appears she’s the youngest recipient so far,” said Kannada and culture department director S Rangappa.

Kushi has won several medals at national and international events. She plans to do research in yoga and teach people too.

Nandita, an engineering student of BV Bhoomaraddi College, said her parents were not too keen on her pursuing mountaineering and therefore she used her own funds to climb Mt Everest, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Carstenz Pyramid and Mt Elbrus. She’s now seeking financial assistance from the state to climb the

Vinson Massif

in the Antarctica.

Kuttappa, 40, is credited with shaping some of the country's most successful boxers such as Vijender Singh, M Suranjoy Singh and Shiva Thapa. An Army man, Kuttappa is from the Services Sports Control Board.

Among other winners across 24 categories are educationist Gururaj Karjagi, former high court judge Justice N Kumar and Dr G T Subash, former professor of neurosurgery, Bangalore Medical College.