Living their dreams: Grit, guidance converge at North East Games’ arena

DIMAPUR — Echoes of cheers and screams roared loudly at the Pencak silat and Wushu events here at the North East Games 2024 in Chümoukedima. The atmosphere was electric, with all eyes fixed on the arena as players faced their opponents—some were gearing for their matches while others supported their own state’s athletes.

From Nagaland, cheers resonated in Nagamese, while Manipur's supporters rallied in Manipuri. It was an exhilarating experience, enjoyed by all.

Amidst the claps and shouts, players entered the arena, competing across various categories: men’s, women’s, and weight-based divisions.

One match that caught the attention of Eastern Mirror was the Class-B (50–55) kg men’s category of Pencak silat. As the victor's hand was raised, Tsemthak Konyak, representing Nagaland in the red corner, welled up with tears of emotion. His supporters cheered him on as he approached his coach.

In a conversation with Konyak, he revealed his humble background, having left schooling midway due to financial constraints to pursue his passion for the sport. He shared that his tears of joy stemmed from his family's anxious anticipation of his performance over the past two days, unsure if victory would be his.

Konyak’s father spoke to him on the phone, eagerly inquiring about the match result, to which he responded, “Dad, I have won!” Their shared tears of happiness transcended the distance between them, as his parents, residing in Tizit, could not attend the match in person.

On his future aspirations, Konyak said that he is committed to Pencak silat. He dedicated his win to his hard work and to his coach, Deep Kumar, founder and coach of Faith in Action Martial Arts Academy, who imparted innovative techniques that equipped him with the skills that led him to secure the gold medal.

In the Wushu 80 kg men’s category, Sagar Mech from Assam clinched the gold. Mech said that he has been playing for five years. On asking what made him stand out from the other players in his category, he said it was all because of his coach, Amarsingh Limbu, who has been training him well and honing his skills. He expressed gratitude to Limbu for his pivotal role in his journey thus far.