Three Pencak Silat athletes from Nagaland — Kitenlo K Thono, Liike Kibami and Avikali V. Sheqi — have qualified to represent India at the 21st World Senior Pencak Silat Championship 2026, scheduled to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from December 5 to 12.
The championship will take place at the Martial Arts Palace Indoor Stadium, Olympic City Complex, and will be hosted by the Uzbekistan Pencak Silat Federation in association with the International Pencak Silat Federation.
All three athletes will compete in the Tanding (sparring) category in their respective weight divisions. Kitenlo K. Thono will participate in the men’s under-95 kg category, Liike Kibami in the women’s under-55 kg category and Avikali V. Sheqi in the women’s under-70 kg category as part of the Indian contingent.
The Nagaland athletes head to the global championship with notable performances at the continental level. Kitenlo Thono is a silver medallist at the 9th Asian Senior Pencak Silat Championship held in Vietnam in 2025, while Avikali Sheqi won a bronze medal at the 10th Asian Senior Pencak Silat Championship in Vietnam earlier this year. Alongside Liike Kibami, the two medal-winning athletes will represent Nagaland at the international event.
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On Wednesday, the selected athletes and members of the Nagaland Pencak Silat Association (NPSA) called on Abu Metha, Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister and Secretary General of the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA), at the Games Village in Chümoukedima during the ongoing Nagaland State and Para Games 2026.
Congratulating the athletes on earning their places in the Indian national squad, Metha urged them to compete with grit and determination and bring laurels to Nagaland and the country. He extended his prayers and best wishes and reaffirmed his support as they prepare for the championship.
Speaking on behalf of the association, NPSA president Khevishe Sema and other members expressed gratitude to Chief Minister and NOA president Dr Neiphiu Rio, along with NOA Secretary General Abu Metha, for including Pencak Silat in the Nagaland Olympic Games 2024, North East Games 2024 and Nagaland State and Para Games 2026.
The association credited their leadership and commitment to grassroots sports development with creating opportunities for the discipline and its athletes in the State.
The NPSA also thanked S Keoshu Yimkhiung, Advisor and MLA, Youth Resources and Sports, and Kethosituo Sekhose, Director of the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Government of Nagaland, for their continued support and encouragement in helping the State’s athletes reach the international stage.
