Nagaland State and Para Games 2026 begins November 2, bringing over 3,000 athletes from 17 districts across 14 disciplines
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DIMAPUR — More than 3,000 athletes from all 17 districts are set to converge in Chümoukedima and Dimapur as the third edition of the Nagaland State & Para Games 2026 begins on November 2, bringing together competitors across 14 sporting disciplines over 13 days.
Organised by the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA), the games will continue until November 14, with competitions spread across venues in Chümoukedima and Dimapur.
Announcing the programme during a press conference at Chümoukedima Police Complex on Sunday, NOA General Secretary Abu Metha described the event as the biggest sporting gathering in Nagaland in terms of participation. He said that around 1,000 female and nearly 2,000 male athletes had registered, while the total number of accredited participants, including technical officials, referees, volunteers and support staff, was expected to exceed 4,000.
The organisers have divided the games into two phases to manage the large number of participants, with seven disciplines scheduled in the first phase, followed by the remaining events in the second. Participants from the first phase will depart before the arrival of the next contingents.
Also read: Five additional disciplines included in Nagaland State and Para Games 2026
Competitions will be held at eight venues within the Chümoukedima Police Complex and three additional venues outside it. Athletics will take place at the Dimapur Stadium synthetic track, while sepaktakraw, wrestling and table tennis will be conducted at the multi-discipline indoor sports complex in Sovima. Lawn tennis will be held at Kuda village, Nagarjan, and pencak silat at the concerned association's facility in Dimapur.
The State Para Games, organised in collaboration with the Paralympic Committee and respective para-sports organisations, will be conducted under their prescribed guidelines at two separate venues. Football and futsal events will be held at the futsal facility of the Regional Centre for Sporting Excellence, alongside other para-sports events at the institution.
Metha informed that the games would be open-category competitions, without separate age-based divisions for junior and senior participants. The event would also serve as a platform to identify and select state teams for upcoming competitions, including the North East Olympics and regional championships.
A Games Village has been established at Chümoukedima to accommodate participating contingents, with separate facilities for male and female athletes.
Arrangements include round-the-clock medical assistance, laundry services, convenience stores and food outlets, besides recreational activities.
The organisers have also constituted committees to oversee transport, accommodation, medical services, emergency response and other arrangements.
Each discipline will be managed independently by its respective sports association.
In an additional initiative, a seminar-cum-workshop on safeguarding in sports will be organised during the games for the first time, featuring national and international resource persons.
Metha acknowledged the logistical challenges of accommodating thousands of participants and appealed to the contingents to cooperate with the organisers. He said the organising teams were making efforts to provide the necessary facilities and urged participants to report any grievances or shortcomings so they could be addressed.
The games are being organised with support from the Nagaland government and Nagaland Police.