India put up an impressive show at the recently concluded Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, with 61 medals including 22 gold and finishing in fourth place, only behind Australia, England and Canada. The Northeast once again hit headlines for the right reasons, thanks to Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Jeremy Lalrinnunga and others who made the region and the country proud by winning medals. The region may be lagging far behind the rest of the country in terms of economic development, infrastructure and other sectors but it is slowly consolidating its position in Indian sports by consistently producing medal-winning sportspersons. Its contribution in football is also noteworthy with 86 (27%) of the players in this season’s Indian Super League (ISL) coming from the region. This is despite almost non-existent sports infrastructure; many growing up playing in muddy and pebble-ridden playgrounds. Sportspersons from the region who made it to the top surely deserve all praises. There may be many reasons for this trend, including hard work, discipline, perseverance, etc., but one aspect that sets the region apart from many Indian states is strong sporting culture. The surface of the ground may be uneven but that doesn’t stop children from playing, especially football.
A closer look at the countries and states that excel in sports will take you to one trait- a strong sporting culture. For instance, Manipur still keep indigenous games, including polo alive although it is almost unknown to the rest of the country. People continue to play the game religiously to this day, organise international tournaments and even take initiatives to save the endangered Manipuri pony, as this field sport is played on horseback. Nagaland too is home to many indigenous games but most of them are either dying or played only during specific occasions. One that is visibly growing in popularity and in terms of pulling crowd is Naga wrestling. This trend has brought in more professionalism to the sport. Today, professional Naga wrestlers take care of their body throughout the year, from following strict physical regimes to diet. Such culture will have a huge impact on all games, irrespective of disciplines as the basic tenets are the same. There is no denying the fact that good infrastructure and facilities are required in modern sports unlike most indigenous games. There is also no denying that many have defied poor facilities to become champions. So, while working on improving infrastructure, efforts should also be made on strengthening sporting culture, and the upcoming Nagaland Olympics and Paralympics Games 2022 is a great platform towards this. Cheer and encourage the participants of this sporting extravaganza. Only some win prizes but nobody loses from a game.