Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 30
2018 was an eventful year for Nagaland’s sporting scene with the state’s athletes making their marks in several disciplines across various platforms.
From cricket and athletics to combat sport and indigenous games, the state’s sporting scene drew considerable attention.
The most touted of them all was the Nagaland senior cricket team making their debut in India’s premier
Nagaland’s first Ranji Trophy outing ended on a historic note with a thumping win over fellow debutant Mizoram by an innings and 333 runs at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Sovima on November 3.
So far the state team has 1 win, 1 draw and 4 losses from six matches. For their 7th match, Nagaland began the first day against Arunachal Pradesh at Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Sovima, Dimapur on December 30.
Along with the massive strides made in the local cricketing scene, athletics also made its mark with Nagaland participating in the first even North East Olympics held in Imphal, Manipur.
With 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 27 Bronze for an overall total of 42 medals, Nagaland finished 5th.
Nagaland’s best performance was in the discipline of athletics with Tsuchoi T winning Gold both 5000 Meters and 10,000 M race category and Seluokuolie Kire taking Gold for Shot Put (Men). The other Gold medals were in Boxing – 60Kg (Men), Karate (Women), and Weight Lifting – 67 Kg (Men).
Indigenous sport was another area which received a boost in 2018, with Nagaland hosting the first Indigenous Games Competition in Kohima. The event organised by the Nagaland Department of Youth Resources and Sports saw competitions in Tug of War, Cock Fight, Stilt Bamboo Walk Race and Greased Bamboo Climbing.
While state sponsored sporting initiatives made the headlines, combat sports, on the other hand, saw non-state organisations and teams making their mark. Over the course of the year, Taekwondo practitioners from various teams in the state participated and made their mark at regional and national levels.
Sticking to combat sports, the annual flurry of Naga wrestling competitions was supplemented by mixed martial artists, with MMA fighters from Nagaland performing admirably at national level events.
In addition, a five-day combat sports festival was also organised under the aegis of 3E Nagaland from October 23 to 27 in Kohima.
The quickly burgeoning sport of MMA received a boost in the festival with 32 fighters from all over the country, a good number from the NE region, particularly Nagaland, representing different gyms in Kohima and Dimapur participating.
On another end, the foundation stone for the Dr T Ao Regional Football Academy was laid on June 8 by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at Seithekema ‘C’, Dimapur.
However, the promise for a comprehensive sports policy is yet to materialise.
