First-of-its-kind mud volleyball tournament draws crowds to Muttukad paddy fields

The kandam kali volleyball tournament in progress at the Muttukad paddy fields in Idukki on Sunday

The kandam kali volleyball tournament in progress at the Muttukad paddy fields in Idukki on Sunday

In a first for Idukki, the Muttukad paddy fields — known as the “rice bowl” of the district and spread across the Chinnakkanal and Bison Valley panchayats near Munnar — witnessed the traditional and unique kandam kali on Sunday. The mud volleyball tournament was organised with great enthusiasm by a group of local youths under the banner of the BCC Arts and Sports Club, Bison Valley.

Bijo Ulahannan, a member of the BCC Club, noted that a lack of recreational facilities for local youth inspired them to host the event in the recently harvested Muttukad paddy fields. “This is the first time such an event has been held in these paddy fields. We prepared a harvested field filled with mud and water for the tournament, which we called kandam kali volleyball. The matches were played entirely in the mud and water against the backdrop of a light drizzle,” Mr. Ulahannan said.

Overwhelming response

He added that the event received an overwhelming response within days of its announcement, with a total of 12 teams participating in the final championship. Sky Force from Parathode won first place, receiving a trophy and a cash prize of ₹5,001. The Poopara Club and Myladumpara teams secured second and third places, winning ₹3,001 and ₹1,001 along with trophies, respectively. The day-long event began on Sunday morning and concluded in the evening.

According to the organisers, while mud volleyball and football tournaments are common in areas with large paddy fields like Kuttanad, while this was a rare spectacle for the hilly terrain of Idukki. “When we first proposed the idea, the local farmers extended their full support, and the event managed to draw a massive crowd. The event was coordinated under the leadership of BCC Club president Amal Raju and secretary Ratheesh,” Mr. Ulahannan said.

The youth group now plans to organise another kandam kali tournament during the upcoming Onam vacation. According to the organisers, the event also served as a silent protest against the Bison Valley authorities for the complete lack of playgrounds or sports facilities in the village.