Angami Sports Association 50th Meet from February 14

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 9 (EMN): The Angami Sports Association (ASA) will be conducting the much anticipated ASA 50th meet at IG Stadium, State Indoor Stadium, Tsiesema ground and Khuochiezie in Kohima from February 14 to the 19th.

The announcement was made during a press conference held in Kohima on Wednesday.

Lhoubeizo Kesiyie, president of ASA informed that athletics, indoor games and outdoor games like sepaktakraw, volleyball (for both men’s and women) as well as football and Naga style wrestling (men) will be held during the meet.

Volleyball and football will be played in a league pattern, it was informed.

Altogether, about 500 including 150 each from the four units of ASA — Southern Angami Sports Association (Sasa), Northern Angami Sports Association (Nasa), Western Angami Youth Organisation (Wayo) and Chakhroma Youth Organisation (CYO) — will be competing for top honours in various events during the meet.

Thee contingents will be vying for a total of 43 gold medals. It was informed that around INR 13, 00,000 (thirteen lakh) has been set aside as the prize money for the meet.

The venues of all the events will be managed by Angami Baptist Church Council Thepfüko Krotho (ABCCTK).

On day-one and two, athletic events for both men and women will take place.

Football, volleyball and sepaktakraw will be held on day-three and four. Table tennis and badminton will be held as night events.

On Feb. 17, final of all the disciplines will be played in their respective venues.

Senior and junior Naga style wrestling will be held on day-five and six respectively.

Seyielhouvi Nagi, general secretary of ASA, informed that besides the events, folk tune, traditional trumpet blowing and war cry competitions as well as bamboo stilt walking will be competed.

However, he informed that the medal tally will not be inclusive of such indigenous games though they form part of the competition.

‘On Feb. 18, we have invited all the 17 tribes, all the sports council and associations to be part of the events as special invitees’, he further informed.

“Phouse Kene,” a traditional way of engaging two boys of below ten years of age would be introduced as a prelude to the wrestling.

Neisiesa Chüsi, auditor general of the association narrated that during the olden days, such young boys were thought to be “holy and clean”.

As such, two innocent boys were made to take part in “Phouse Kene,” where they wrestle in the beginning before the commencement of the competition, believing that the event will go successfully without any obstacle or injury or any untoward event.

To signify the tradition, Chüsi informed that they would be roping in two boys for the same before the start of senior wrestling on February 18.

He also informed that all the surviving champions of ASA meet wrestling would be introduced on the day before the competition.

ASA officials stated that they have already celebrated the golden jubilee of the association with its formation in 1967 but the meet couldn’t be conducted as an annual meet for a couple of  times.

As such, the forthcoming event is being called as “ASA 50th Meet 2022”, it stated.

It was informed that during this meet, the association will come out with documentation for every new record breaker in any discipline.

Lhoubeizo Kesiyie, who has been involved with ASA for 19 years, informed that the association was able to reach the milestone due to the “tireless” contributions from many well-wishers.

While asserting that they will be conducting the forthcoming meet with the prize money being sponsored by well wishers even this time, he expressed concerned about whether or not, they would be able to conduct the meet smoothly in future due to lack of financial stability.

Affirming that “uptill date, they didn’t get any support from the government,” he said that ‘they have financial crises though they have many goals for their sportspersons.’

Kesiyie also pointed out they are discouraged to see the inadequate sports infrastructures to train the sportspersons to compete at a higher level and bring back laurels.

As such, they have appealed the government to look into the matters for the welfare and upliftment of the sportspersons.

He said that they have confidence in young sportsmen and women, who can compete well in North-east level.

It was informed that Zale Neikha, advisor of Youth Resources and Sports will be the inaugural guest, Neiphiu Rio, chief minister of Nagaland as the special guest and MLA Khriehu Liezietsu, as the guest of honour.

MLA Keneizhakho Nakhro, Abu Metha, advisor to chief minister of Nagaland and associate vice president of Athletics Federation of India and Khrienuo Tachu, chairman of Women Development will be the patrons.