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Imolemnok (center) seen here with his sailing team after clinching bronze at the Guangzhou Nansha International Sailing Regatta in China in July 2017.[/caption]
Imrongkumba Aier
Mokokchung, Oct. 29 (EMN): At 31, this young Naga from Merangkong village in Mokokchung district seeks glory in competitive sailing.
Imolemnok, ‘Lemnok’ to his fraternity, is a member of the Yachting Association of India and a qualified instructor at the Indian Naval Sailing Association. He has a number of medals to his name, from both national and international events. A recent medal was a bronze medal at the Guangzhou Nansha International Sailing Regatta that was held from July 28 to the 30th, in China. It was the first medal won by India at an international sailing competition in the senior category since 2010.
Born into a farmer’s family, Lemnok joined the Indian Navy in 2004 at the tender age of 17 to be the breadwinner for his family. During his initial years in the navy, it is said, Lemnok was assigned to assist at handling a boat during an ongoing annual navy sailing tournament at Visakhapatnam. That was when he discovered his calling to the sport.
Lemnok's love for sailing was immediately noticed. He was made to participate in a tournament which marked the beginning of his affair with the sport. While working as a sailor, he continued to participate in the navy tournaments. He made his mark in the year 2008 when he was adjudged ‘most promising yachtman'.
This earned Lemnok an opportunity to represent the Indian Navy at the Ocean Blue National Offshore Sailing Championship in Kochi. He won the gold medal for two consecutive years. In 2010, he was officially inducted into the Indian naval sailing team based at Mumbai. This was a ticket to his dreams to fully devote his time and energy to the sport leaving his profession as a seaman. He hopped into individual as well as team training in various classes of boats. The same year, he made his maiden international debut at the Diamond Jubilee Sailing Regatta held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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Imolemnok (left) with partner S Singh after winning gold at the 33rd NDA Inland Enterprise Championship, 2015, at Peacock bay in Pune.[/caption]
The sportsman has now participated in various club regattas and national events in India and international events in Sri Lanka, Qatar, Thailand, Bahrain and China. Lemnok’s major achievements include participations in four club regattas, 17 national championships and five international championships. He has won two gold, four silver and four bronze medals.
Several times, he has come close to winning a medal: 4th position finishes in two club regattas, a national championship and an international championship in Thailand in 2011. Recently, he was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer as recognition for his achievement.
Lemnok stays firmly rooted in his identity. In 2015, Nagaland saw its maiden participation in yachting when he took part in the 35th National Games in Kerala by arranging his own boat from the Indian navy’s resources. It was an act through which he had intended to introduce sailing sport to the Naga youth. His immediate goal is to qualify for the Asian Games next year for which he is presently training. When he is not out in the water, he loves travelling widely, angling and spending time with his adopted stray dog which is a constant companion in the sailing club.