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At a time when Nagaland is scrambling to dodge the prolonged drought in medal winners and sportspersons to compete at the highest level, Hokato Hotozhe Sema has brought the much-needed hope by winning a bronze in shot put at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. It came more than 76 years after Dr. Talimeren Ao led the Indian football team at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, and more than 12 years after Chekrovolü Swüro participated at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in Archery, the only two Olympians the state has produced. For India, it’s a moment of pride. His personal life is an awe-inspiring story too, having beaten all odds to find a place on the podium at the Paralympics, after losing his left leg in a landmine blast during a counter-infiltration operation in 2002, while serving in the Indian army. Congratulatory messages poured in from all quarters, led by the President and Prime Minister of India. He deserved it all and more for not giving up on his dreams amid the cruel fate. For Nagaland, which is known for its love for sports, especially football, yet failed to produce medal-winning sportspersons at the highest level, Hokato’s bronze is more than a feat and a relief. It’s an inspiration, a reassurance, a glimmer of hope, a possible beginning of mushrooming medal-winning athletes and Olympians from the state. Having broken the mental barrier, this is not unrealistic.
Acknowledging the feat, the Nagaland government has announced a cash award of INR 1.5 crore for Hokato, who had earlier won a bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games held last year and silver at the Morocco Grand Prix 2022. Through this gesture, the state government has sent out a clear message that sportspersons who bring laurels to the state will be rewarded handsomely. This will encourage the youth, who have hitherto failed to find a good reason to take up sports as a profession, to sweat it out more to excel in sports. It will also encourage parents to allow their children to pursue sports as a career option. In short, such feats can change the general outlook towards sports. However, such possible change should be complemented by a robust support system for sportspersons, especially those from poor families. So, the governments, both central and state, should provide world-class facilities and financial aid to athletes, which are pre-requisites to compete with the best at the highest level. Sportspersons, on their part, should pursue sports as a rewarding career option, and not as a hobby. They should draw inspiration from Hokato and other medal-winning athletes from challenging backgrounds.