‘In the end, we are just humans’

Naga kettlebell athlete Lanuakum Longkumer dedicates medals to victims of Oting killings, talks about the sport, fitness and endurance

Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | December 16 

When the tragic killings at Oting, Mon occurred, Lanuakum Longkumer was preparing to participate in the 2nd State Kettlebell Championship in Meghalaya scheduled for December 9. At that time he said to a friend that if he wins anything, he would dedicate those medals to the victims of the Oting incident.

And he did win; two medals—one gold and one silver. “Although it is not a big thing, I want to dedicate these two medals to the Oting incident as a small gesture of respect and appreciation to our people”, he said while speaking to The Morung Express. “In the end, we are just humans and we are to take care of each other, so these two medals are for the village community for being so resilient”, he added. 

It was only recently that 39-year-old Lanuakum Longkumer discovered the sport of kettlebell. He underwent his first training session only in August last year under coach Sandeep Sharma. When he first began, he recalls, “I couldn’t even do with a 6 kilo kettlebell.” This surprised even himself as he has long been active in sports like running, swimming, and football since childhood.

However, he was completely intrigued with the game as he went on to learn more about it. “This is something new, basically in terms of technique, style, you have to be swift in transitioning …I was hungry to do more. Initially I couldn’t even do a 6 kilo kettlebell but within 2 months of rigorous training, I was lifting 15-20 kilos”, he recollected.

Then came his first state championship at Shillong, where he clinched two gold medals. This was also his first ever participation in a competition. He went on to participate at the National Kettle Championship in Mumbai during March this year, winning two more gold medals.

In October this year, Longkumer took part in the State Kettlebell Championship Meghalaya half marathon and won gold for 20 kilo long cycle (30 minutes). Some friends watching him doing the half marathon were so exhausted looking at him that they had to leave. By the time, he finished, he had blisters in both the hands. “I realised it was the most exhausting thing”, he recalled but affirmed that it was worth enduring.

Just a little over a year since he got into the sport, Longkumer has won a tally of 7 medals including 6 Gold and 1 Silver.

“I have learnt that Kettlebell takes from you but also gives you back in terms of fitness, how you live your life, what you eat, etc., and I would vouch that there is no workout as unique, as different and as flexible as this sport”, he said.

“It builds your endurance, your stamina like crazy; for me it was challenging, in terms of how far can you go in challenging yourself to rediscover what you are built for, in terms of your mental strength, emotional strength, physical strength, kettlebell is the sport that challenges you in all these aspects,” he added.

For Longkumer, this was more than enough to rediscover “who I am and that keeps me going.” Prior to getting into kettlebell, he also experienced depression for about 8 months a few years back, from where he emerged stronger. “I did a 90-day fitness challenge by trying to lose weight, build myself not so much in terms of building muscles but following a routine, restructuring my diet…it was a turning point where I rediscovered myself and disciplined myself in the way I live, eat, behave, I realised life is not about lavishly living or wasting your time, the materialistic things, I had to minimalize so many things”, he said.

He further credits his friend and coach Sandeep Sharma, who guided him and gave him a lot of tips with regard to kettlebell. He also feels, now is a “good opportunity for me to introduce people from Northeast to this versatile sports” especially while pointing out that “Nagas are built strong, born strong, and although it is the Russian national sport, if it is giving you so much in terms of your diet, lifestyle, eating habits, physical appearance, etc, I think it is worth pursuing.”

His next National Championship is in March 2022. “If I get to win, I will get a shot to represent the country in the World Kettlebell Championships in Portugal”, he shared.

Lanuakum Longkumer was born and raised in Ungma village under Mokokchung district. He is a banker by profession and currently works in Bangalore.