A felicitation programme in honour of the medal winners of Mon district at the Nagaland Olympic & Paralympic Games 2022 was organised by the District Administration of Mon on 30 August at DRDA Hall, Mon.
The Team Manager of Mon district, Chingmei Konyak spoke on behalf of the team, thanking all those responsible for sending a huge contingent to represent the district in the Olympic games.
Congratulating all the winners and participants for representing the district, the Deputy Commissioner of Mon, Ajit Kumar Verma, IAS, encouraged them to strive harder to achieve more.
Superintendent of Police, Mon, Imnalensa, IPS thanked all the persons behind the scene who worked tirelessly to support the teams and athletes from the district. She also congratulated all the medal winners and participants, and wished them the best for their future.
In addition, short speeches were also delivered by the presidents of KU, KNSK and KU.
The athletes and team management were then given a felicitation by the Executive Secretary of KBBB, Rev M Chemyuh, who also blessed them with a special prayer.
The Mon team for the 2nd Nagaland Olympic and Paralympic Games comprised of 162 members which included the athletes, coaches and managers of various disciplines. There were 130 athletes who represented Mon district in the games. The team brought home 17 medals in total: four Gold, four Silver and nine Bronze from the Olympic games, and two Bronze from Paralympics.
In the midst of limited time, having been informed only a month ahead, the district managed to gather players from all nooks and corners, said Konyak to Nagaland Tribune. With no proper camp for the players to practise, it was the inborn abilities of the players that carried them forward in the field, he added.
The team manager stated that local support went a long way in helping the team. While financial assistance was provided by the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA), it proved insufficient for the team to travel to Kohima and Longleng at the same time. That’s when local sources pulled in to provide financial support. Furthermore, prayers and moral support also came from various churches, organisations and families, Konyak said.
He stated that the sports field in Mon still has a long way to go due to lack of resources and infrastructure: Wushu and Taekwondo players do not have a practice hall, athletes have no track to run on, and archery is new to the district. Spiked shoes, in fact, were worn for the first time by the runners during the Olympic games this year, he added.
Konyak further emphasised that everybody should get the opportunity to play sports. When asked how the district looked forward to the next Olympic games, he hoped that the NOA would notify them at the earliest the next time. He stressed the district athletes would work towards achieving better positions the next time. He voiced a concern for the upcoming Northeast Olympic games in Shillong, Meghalaya, saying that if Nagaland participates with the kind of preparation as before, justice won’t be done to the Olympics.
The team manager also mentioned that the DC and SP of Mon along with local NGOs have come to a decision for the district to set up a District Sports Council.
