Nagaland 2022: A year of highlights for sports

Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 29 

Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, in one of his last public engagements for the year maintained that sports had the power to unify people, while espousing the potential that the State’s sportspersons have to make it in higher levels of competition. 

2022 was a year of highlights for sports in Nagaland, from major state and regional events hosted by the State, to international recognition and international success stories for Nagaland’s sportspersons and teams. 

While throughout the year sporting tournaments at all levels are a norm in Nagaland, the Inter- District Football Championship Dr T Ao Tournament and the Nagaland Olympic & Paralympic Games 2022 were the major sporting events in the State this year. 

The Dr T Ao Trophy in particular, which was held in April in Mokokchung, drew spectacular viewership. The tournament’s final, which was won by Dimapur defeating Mon, drew over 40,000 views in the live stream.  

The 2nd Nagaland Olympic & Paralympic Games was a multi-sport event held from August 22 to 27. The participating delegations included 16 delegations from all districts under Nagaland. A total of 3,500 athletes from the 16 Districts of Nagaland competed in 11 sports and disciplines.

The Games were co-hosted by Dimapur and Longleng. Kohima led the final medal tally, followed by Phek in second place, and Dimapur in third place.

In terms of athletics, the State also placed 5th in the North East Olympics 2022 which was held in Meghalaya in the month on November. Nagaland won a total of 79 medals which included 18 gold medals, 17 silver medals, and 44 bronze medals.   

Another significant development to promote sports in Nagaland was the inaugurations of the Loyem Memorial Astro Turf Ground in Tuensang, where the 30th edition of the prestigious Loyem Memorial Trophy (LMT) was held in November. 

Sticking with football, after a gap of 42 years, Nagaland finally lifted the U-17 Subroto Cup 2022 after defeating Chandigarh 1-0 in October. The Pilgrim Higher Secondary School (PHSS) Dimapur representing Nagaland state defeated Government Model Higher Secondary School, Sector 37, (GMHSS-37), Chandigarh.

Nagaland Youth Resources & Sports Advisor, Er Zale Neikha said that it was a red letter day for Nagaland football to win such a prestigious tournament, and hoped Nagaland can build these young players for future prospects.

Combat sport was another area where Nagaland athletes made their mark. 

For instance Israel G Xuivi, the founder of Naga Kiti-do and an International Taekwon-do player, was officially inducted in the Taekwon-do Hall of Fame on August 19 at Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was inducted for his outstanding achievements by tagging him as a “Pioneer Taekwon-do Instructor.”

In Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), the Combat Academy from Nagaland continued their fine form over the years in winning medals at national events.  

At the AIMMAA (All India Mixed Martial Arts Association) National Championship held from September 30 to October 2 in Hyderabad, fighters from the Combat Academy won 3 gold and 2 bronze medals. The tournament was held in collaboration with MFN (Matrix Fight Night) the biggest professional MMA promotion in India.

Drawing a frantic sporting calendar to a close was the spectacle of the World Cup in Qatar for football fans of the State. With Argentina winning the Cup, it was a treat for football fans from the State where support for the South American giants is unmatched.