‘National Games a good exposure for state contingent’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 14 (EMN): Deputy Chef de Mission of Nagaland contingent, Neivikuolie Nicholas Khatsü, has said that though the state failed to fetch any medal at the recently concluded 2022 National Games, it was a “good exposure” for the Nagaland contingent.

“We failed to get any medal but it was a good outing and a good experience for us to experience the National Games,” Khatsü said in an exclusive interview with Eastern Mirror at the office of Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA) in Kohima.

Affirming that they have been receiving a lot of negative responses and criticisms due to the state’s poor performance at the events, he emphasised on the need to be familiarised with “national games which, as a whole, is a different event from that of the national championship.”

National championship is the event where athletes compete to qualify for the National Games, he said while informing that Nagaland had only qualified to compete in archery and taekwondo in this year’s National Games.

However, it was informed that taekwondo was excluded in the 36^th edition of the National Games. Citing the reason, Khatsü explained how they could compete only in archery as the state could qualify in the discipline alone.

However, upon his return from Gujarat, he apprised that they got the opportunity to compete in athletics, boxing and wrestling through wild card.

“Even in these events, it was an eye opener for us to go and experience,” said Khatsü, who is also the assistant secretary general of NOA.

When asked reasons why Nagaland players couldn’t be at par with other sportspersons during the National Games, he opined, “when enough sports infrastructures are not available in the state, the blame should not put on the athletes nor should it be blamed on the administration when necessary things are yet to be put into place.”

He stated that for so long they were not given a task force to look into issues relating to the games and sports in the state.

He also said that although they have just being given the responsibility to look into the affairs of sportspersons, they were still being censured.

Nevertheless, Khatsü was of the view that they have to be complaisant with the situation, saying, “I think we have to start like this because people have every right to know and question where we are, be it in the field of sports, education, agriculture or urban.”

“For us we have slept for too long and that is the lacking part,” he said while expressing optimism to carry forward their assignment with the hope of producing fruitful results even as they have started with the Nagaland Olympics.

On being queried about the next step in store for the National Games, he said that if everything goes well, they would entail the need for sensitising on the qualification criteria and eligibility to partake in the mega sporting events

He apprised that athletes are required to at least enter the quarter-final round in any of the recognised disciplines during national championship events in order to participate in the National Games.

It was also learnt that out of the eight quarterfinal spots, one is reserved for the hosting state. As such, the lowest rank of the eight qualified spots will be eliminated from competing in the National Games.

“We have to participate with utmost seriousness; even if we haven’t got medal also we have to enter the quarter-finals to qualify,” he said, adding “people also need to know the technicalities before putting the blame on us.”

“We are now trying to sensitise the sports associations how to participate in the national championship and get qualified for the National Games,” he said.

Meanwhile, Khatsü informed that they have started giving intensive training to different sportspersons of the state in preparation for the upcoming 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022 to be held from October 30 in Meghalaya.