** Karnataka village girl defies all odds, bags award for ‘gourd art’ at national Kala Utsav

Chandana A, a Class 9 student of the government high school in GB Saragur of HD Kote taluk, has made the state proud by winning second place in the national-level Kala Utsav, an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. Her artwork helped her bag the award for the state under the category ‘Indigenous Toys and Games’.

** 23-year-old youth from Karnataka’s Udupi becomes fastest Kambala racer

Vishwanath Devadiga, a 23-year-old Kambala racer from Byndoor of Udupi district, created a new record in the 100 m race in Aikala last Saturday, covering the distance in just 9.15 seconds.

Srinivas Gowda had taken social media by storm last year with his record of covering 100m in 9.55 seconds and his speed had prompted people to compare him with Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, whose 100m world record is 9.58 seconds.

** Kodagu Lass Unnathi Breaks P.T. Usha’s Record In Hurdle Race

 Completes 80-metre hurdles (U-16) in 11.50 seconds at National Junior Athletics Championships

Bollanda Unnathi Aiyappa from Kodagu has created a new national record in the 80-metre hurdles held on Feb. 8 and 300-metre hurdles held on Feb. 9 at the 36th National Junior Athletics Championships at the Sarusajai Stadium in Assam.

** This 84-year-old man has conserved over 100 exotic pickling mango varieties

Age is no barrier for 84-year-old Beluru Subbanna Heggade (B. V. Subbarao) who has has collected more than 100 appe midi varieties of mangoes which were on the verge of extinction. He has preserved these mangoes, used for pickling as whole fruit, by growing them on his premises in Belur of Sagar taluk in Shivamogga district.