Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa is an Indian born hockey player and an active team member in male National Hockey Team, well known for his execution in hockey with his keen cooperation to other players.
Early Life of Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa
Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa was born on 2nd December 1993. Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa picked up the sport as a profession at the age of 8 years after growing up watching his brother play hockey for Bangalore University. Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa still holds the state record for scoring the highest number of goals (16) in 5 matches that he played for Coorg team at the age of 11 in the state level competition. Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa also guided the Coorg team to victory against the mighty Bengaluru team ending the Bangalore team`s 4 year winning streak.
Career of Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa in Basketball
Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa was also a National level Basketball player where in he represented Karnataka team in the 49th National Basketball Championships held at Chennai in 2004. During his school days he also represented Coorg in events like badminton and football at the State Level competitions.
Beginning Hockey Career by Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa
Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa chose the sport which he loved the most. He then moved to Bangalore to continue his passion for Hockey at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre. Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa was a product of the National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) scheme at SJIHS. He joined SAI and ever since has excelled as a player both for his college St. Joseph`s College of Commerce and Bangalore University. His performance did not go unnoticed and soon he was playing for the state, Prabhakar, who heads the SAI training centre at the hockey stadium in Akkithimmanahalli. In 2010 he captained Karnataka to Junior Nationals title victory in Pune, defeating hockey powerhouse Punjab in the final. He was adjudged the best player in the 2011 Senior National championship in Bhopal where Karnataka finished runners-up.
Career of Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa
Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa is an Indian professional field hockey player. He was part of the Indian team which secured qualification to the 2012 London Summer Olympic games.
Qualities of Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa
Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa has matured superbly as a player. Equipped with a keen hockey brain and the ability to scythe through the toughest of defences, the Gonikoppal player left an indelible mark at every stage right from his school days at St. Joseph`s Indian High School (SJIHS) to his stint with the Karnataka team at the National Championships last year.
International Career of Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa
Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa made his international debut against South Africa on 16th January 2012 during the first match of the Karbonn Cup Hockey five-match test series. He scored a goal in his debut match at the 53rd minute mark. In that series, Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa featured in 4 matches, winning three, drew one and scored 3 goals in the process. He was also given a special award from Hockey India for scoring in his debut match. Based on his performances against South Africa, Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa was selected to play in the 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament. He went on to play in all 6 matches (5 group and 1 Finals) in the tournament scoring one goal in the first match against Singapore.
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Indian Hockey Players
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