Nagaland is a state where all the popular/major sports are followed with almost religious fervor, right from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the Indian Super League (ISL), from the English Premier League to the Champions League. From the NBA to the Wimbledon, all though the year the never-ending cycle continues.
But despite such massive following of sports of all discipline, we sadly are yet to produce sportspersons of repute in the international arena – except for some few.
If we look into the history of Taekwondo in Nagaland, teams have shown steady growth and development. Recently in an attempt to get an insight into the history of the sport in Nagaland, Eastern Mirror interacted with officials of Dimapur District Taekwondo Association (DDTA) World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
According to the officials: “Taekwondo first came to Nagaland in the year 1986 (through the intitiatives of) R K Shivachandra in Kohima with Pelesielie Khezhie (Pele) who is also the present president of Nagaland Taekwondo Association (NTA).”
In the same year, AK Shyambijay Singh and R K Imocha introduced Taekwondo in Dimapur. But it was only 19 years after, in 2005, that the Dimapur District Taekwondo Association (DDTA) was formed. The first Dimapur District Taekwondo Association team was lead by Late Chiniba Aier as the President of DDTA. Presently Imtirenla Jamir, a beaurucrat, is the president of DDTA.
In what would come as a piece of good news for Nagaland, the state will be hosting the National Sub-Junior Taekwondo championship in November this year. This will be the first time that Nagaland is hosting the tournament.
In August 2014, students of Faith-in-Action Taekwondo Academy represented India at the World Taekwondo Hanmadang held in Pohang City in South Korea. They returned with one gold, one silver and ten bronze medals. They also emerged as world champions in the team aerobic competition and became the first team from India to win an international team event after 40 years.
And then we have an unsung hero in Menuodilhou Maurice Usoü who has collected more than 40 medals medals since 2003. In his company, we have Heutingyi Zeliang with three gold medals, one silver, and a bronze at national level events, Ngaiching Phom and Keyinchigonbe Zeliang have won two gold medals, silver and a bronze each.
Neikhozo Naprantsu has won a gold medal at the 33rd National Sub-Junior Championship held at Andhra Pradesh, while Tenloi bagged a silver medal and Shanlanthung Ovung and Repinku Tikhir has won a bronze medal each. Recently, Heoshe Yeptho won at the National Level Poomsae championship held at Kalimpong in Darjeling while Tridibesh M Chowdhury and Joyson Thangmi bagged silver and bronze repectively.
This, according the DDTA, was the first time that Nagaland bagged medal in Poomsae category. Now the question is, will all those players be able to make their mark in the international arena as well?
When asked if Nagas have enough facilities to produce a quality player, DDTA officials said: “Yes, as of now we have all the enablers to produce quality players but at the same time we need high technology equipments like sensor chest guard (electronic body protector) which are being used in national and international level championship.”
According to the, taekwondo was initially not given importance and many players who represented Nagaland in National and International Level and won the medal for the state was not given recognition. “We have two categories in the discipline of Taekwondo, one is International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and other is World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). WTF is affiliated under India Olympic Association as well as World Olympians Association but ITF is not.
“We, Taekwondo Federation, get financial support from the government whenever the players go out to represent the state at the national or international level. As Dimapur District Association we manage the fund from associations to organise district level championship,” DDTA officials informed.
They were also queried on the possibility of turning Taekwondo into a serious profession in Nagaland. “As mentioned, Taekwondo (WTF) players were not getting job enrolments in government sector under sports quota. Few years back government started recognizing Taekwondo players and gave them jobs under sports quota so now there should not be any reason to being seasonal Taekwondo players. They can take Taekwondo as (a serious) profession.”
The lack of professional coaches in Nagaland also has hindered the players in the national arena. “We need international coach for Poomsae and Kyorugi both. To compete in the national and international (events) our players are good enough but they need updated techniques, which can be taken care by international coach, if government support us for the same.”
The officials are optimistic that Nagaland can produced quality players who can represent Nagaland, as well as India, in international platforms. “Yes very much, our players are having potential to win medals in the international arena as well as Olympics. As mentioned we need an international coach to upgrade Taekwondo in Nagaland,” the officials shared.
Indeed Nagaland has produced many national Taekwondo players who have brought laurels to the state. But being professional fighters, they are supposed to undergo rigorious training regimes even when they are not participating in events. But has the lack of support from the state forced those players to give up their dreams? And are their moments of glory merely seasonal, only to be forgotten swiftly by the people?
