KOHIMA, MAY 28 : The Rotary Club of Kohima, led by its president Richard Dzüvichü, Saturday paid a visit to the Indira Gandhi Sports Academy, Kohima.
During the visit, the Rotarians interacted with the students of the academy, and also distributed some items to meet their basic necessities. At present there are 145 students, comprising 71 boys and 74 girls.
Rosemary Dzüvichü, president of Rotary Club, Nagaland, who also accompanied the Rotarian team comprising six members, said the purpose of the visit was to interact with them and also get to know about their activities at the academy.
Rosemary, one behalf of the Rotarians, vowed to conduct a medical camp for the students of the academy at the earliest to be initiated by the Rotarians. To this, she highlighted the importance for a sportspersons to maintain full fitness in order to compete at the highest level.
The Rotarian further stressed the need for equal treatment and opportunity among the students.
“A healthy society is one where men and women, boys and girls, should live as equal partners,” she said maintaining that women and girls can perform equally well as compared to their counterparts. Rosemary advised the girls at the academy to learn to speak their rights, and never to succumb to ill treatments by boys/men.
The Rotarian further encouraged the aspiring sportspersons to learn the English language. Citing the examples of some renowned sportspersons who have achieved at the highest level of sports, she advised them stating that their inability to adapt the English language will be a set back to them in the long run they wish to aim at the top.
Other Rotarians who addressed the students of the academy were Ase Yhome and Jeffrey Thong, a physiotherapist. The programme was chaired by Richard Dzüvichü, president of Rotary Club, Kohima.
The programme was also attended by Jakedovo Chase, District Sports Officer, Kohima, and all the State coaches of the respective sports discipline.
About the IG Sports Academy
The Indira Gandhi Sports Academy, Kohima, since its inception, has come a long way from where it has begun.
Though, the academy is still struggling on many fronts, the achievements of the boys and girls in recent time has proved that it is not far from now that the academy will one day be able to mould sportspersons who will be to excel at the top.
Infrastructure-wise, we still have a long way to go to catch up with the rest of the North Eastern states, leave aside the country. Apart from infrastructure, even by achievements, the NE states like Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura have advanced ahead of us and are starting to get recognition at the national level.
The aim to reach the top should start from an academy, and with all hope and determination, the 145 students at the IG Sports Academy, Kohima, comprising 71 boys and 74 girls, are determined to strive in their respective sports discipline.
Some of them are young as 5, while majority of them are between 10 to 17 years. It was learnt that most of these boys and girls attend schools at Rüzhükhrie GHSS, Kohima, Meriema GMS and others.
The District Sports Officer of Kohima, Jakedovo Chase told Eastern Mirror that the academy presently accommodates students in five disciplines, which includes football (Girls), taekwondo (Boys), boxing, archery and wrestling (freestyle) for both boys and girls.
The State’s women football team, where most of the players were from IG Academy, bagged the runners-up at the National Level North East Games held in March 2016, going down to Manipur in the final, while this girl’s team also performed exceptionally well at the Subroto Cup 2015.
State football coach Kevilebei Neiu Paphino informed that six girls were selected for the Indian coaching camp, but returned because their passport couldn’t be cleared. The reason for their return is also more to do with financial problems, it was learnt.
In boxing, coach Tsungchentrenla informed that the IG boys earned two medals each for gold, silver and bronze at the national level U-16 championship held earlier this year.
As in Archery, a girl and a boy, both students of IG Academy, are presently undergoing coaching at the Indian coaching camp at Haryana. The two young Nagas were also privileged to visit South Korea for a coaching camp, it was informed.
State Wrestling Coach Kikhwesül Thokhwe informed that a student of the IG Academy bagged silver at the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan Championship 2016.
On sports, Nagaland has few sportspersons who have excelled at higher level of competition. Apart from footballer Dr. T. Ao and archer Chekrovolu Swuro, we are yet to produce sportspersons of their caliber.
Only time will tell whether the Nagas have the potential to make it at the top level of sports.
We may blame the government for not providing quality infrastructure, nor make an excuse for lack of financial support and assistance, but what is needed first is that the sportspersons should also excel in their respective discipline.
We have heard about the setting up of Mary Kom Boxing Academy in Manipur. And this is one classic example that the sportspersons should know, because, the central government is not blind to achievements.
Sometime, it all takes achievements to grab the attention of the government. Infrastructure is one area which is a must to enhance the potential of a sportsperson to compete at the highest level of competition, but why do we make so many demands when we cannot be committed to what we aspire to become.
We hope that the Naga sportspersons, particularly, the students of IG Sports Academy and the State sports hostel (SAI), Dimapur which accommodates boys for football, girls for Athletics and Sepaktakraw for both boys and girls, first excel in oder to grab the attention of the government. Performance and achievement is what is demanded in sports rather than being an activity for leisure.
