Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 15 (EMN): In an interesting development, Nagaland will host the South Asian Cross Country Championships 2022 for the first time. The event will be held simultaneously with the 56th edition of the National Cross Country Championship on January 15, next year.
Making the announcement at a press conference on Friday, Nagaland Athletics Association (NAA) President Abu Metha informed that the one-day “clubbed event” will held in the state capital Kohima.
'This will be perhaps the biggest ever international event to be hosted in Nagaland, bringing athletes, officials and delegates from the entire South Asian convention to the state and participate in this championship,' he said.
He informed that the South Asian Athletics Federation's (SAAF) cross country championships was supposed to be hosted by India and the federation had allotted it to Nagaland.
"Sports and athletics will bring people together, unite different communities and take Nagaland to the international level", Metha said, adding that the championships will be historic and take Nagaland beyond the shores.
‘With active support of all sections of the people, the event will create a name for Nagaland and a new journey for Nagaland sports will begin,’ he continued.
Informing that the bid to host the international event was made by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) with the support of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, he thanked the latter for his assurance.
Meanwhile, Rio took to Twitter to announce the event. "Happy to announce that India will host the South Asian Cross Country Championships in Nagaland", he wrote while thanking SAAF and AFI.
Meanwhile, the AFI congratulated Nagaland for becoming the host of the SAAF Cross Country Championship and 56th National Cross Country Championship, while lauding Rio and Metha for great efforts towards development of athletics.
The manager of AFI, Nitin Arya, informed through an update that countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India will participate in teh championships to be held in Kohima.
AFI keen to promote athletics in NE
Metha, who is also Associate Vice President of AFI, said that the federation is "very keen" on promoting athletics in the entire North-eastern (NE) region. It understands the enormous amount of talent and potential of the NE youth in athletics, not just at the national level but at the international, he said.
‘With effective promotion, development and infrastructure, athletes from the region will definitely bring glory to the country. In this regard, AFI is keen to take up game development programme in the entire region to tapped into the potentials of the north east in the arena of sports and games especially athletics,’ he added.
‘Athletics is the blue ribbon of all big sporting events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Dozens of medals are available in track and field alone,’ Metha said.
He went on to say that most sports disciplines need the foundation in athletics.
‘For sportsperson, to do well in any physical activity, must learn how to jump, run, walk, throw, etc. That is why the foundation of most sports, almost every physical activity, begins from athletics,’ he observed.
To begin the developmental programme, AFI has made an elaborate plan to start from the basis. It will conduct special training and capacity building programme for athletic coaches of Nagaland, which will be led by the head coach of AFI and the head coach of Team India at the Tokyo Olympics. This will be followed by a special training for technical officials to conduct the match, it was informed.
The training for coaches and technical officials will begin from next week onwards, Metha informed, adding that plans were formulated during his recent meeting with the federation.
He further informed that a similar delegation and team of AFI led by its general secretary will be arriving in Nagaland to carry out these programmes as well as conduct training, workshops and seminars in Kohima.
The South Asian Althetic Federation will also hold its annual general meeting in Kohima during the championships next year.