YES! I am a fanatic. I hate it whenever I go to watch Naga wrestling and it’s clubbed with Freestyle wrestling. My due apologies to the freestyle wrestlers. I was introduced to Naga wrestling very late but I am a fanatic now. Whenever I get the time or excuse to watch it, I find the world’s best excuse. I happen to watch the last Naga wrestling meet and I was pondering can wrestling be a career? Then I read about 3E Wrestle Mania on papers which will be held from 10th May -12th May and finals on the 19th. After reading about it, something made me ponder, can Naga wrestlers really make a career out of wrestling? Is there a possibility for Naga Wrestling to be a real sport in the Naga realm? Then my thought started towards boxing, if boxing can be a sport to the world why not Naga wrestling, be an alternative to boxing for us the Nagas? After all we have a craze over the sport esp the tenyimias and the rest of the Naga tribes are starting to like it.
In fact Naga Wrestling Association should start marketing it and try to introduce it to the other Naga tribes too. What the 3E group started might just be a drop of water in the pond but looking at the turn out, it gave me a thought that ‘yes, wrestlers can make a living if initiatives like this can happen regularly. It is just the beginning but what the management of 3E wrestle mania envisioned can be a long term solution to creating Naga wrestling as a career and to earn as a livelihood too. In fact the concept can be a monthly thing which will create more professional wrestlers. Like WWE fight for the belt etc. I know a state like Nagaland doesn’t have sponsors to create such events or make it big but as fans and well wishers we can contribute in our own way by buying tickets and help them grow. Let me quote one of my friend Vibou Rutsa on the beauty of Naga wrestling “The best thing I like about Naga Wrestling is the amount of respect & brotherhood the Players show to each other. It is one of the most Respectable form of sport. The players are not 'Opponents' but 'Bosom Friends' (Khrietho-u) & as they are not opponents, the viewers are not supposed to Cheer 'Rowdily' or Clap loudly when a player loses a bout. The players are not only 'Khrietho’s' in the wrestling arena, but they are Khriethos’ Forever. A sport which has its history rooted to create peace & brotherhood will surely end up to be an awesome Sport. ~A Fanatic..Forever!” Long live NAGA WRESTLING. Wishing the 3E organizers, all the best in their endeavours.
Vikeduo Linyu
Kuda village
