Nagaland Wrestling Association to host 15th Open Championship and first women’s wrestling event

Executive members of the Nagaland Wrestling Association addressing a press conference in Kohima on Tuesday. (EM Images)

• KOHIMA — The 15th Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA) Open Championship and the first Women’s Open Naga Wrestling Championship 2025 will take place on March 28 at Khuochiezie (Kohima Local Ground).
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• The wrestling matches will begin at 8:30 am, followed by the inaugural programme at 11:00 am. This year’s event will see the participation of 129 wrestlers, including 100 men and 29 women from ten different Naga tribes, marking a historic first for the NWA.
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• Addressing a press conference in Kohima on Tuesday, NWA President Avolie Kezo stated that this tournament is part of the association’s commitment to promoting wrestling across all 17 tribes in the state, as decided during the NWA’s First General Assembly in July 2024.
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• He also announced that Nagaland will be hosting the Asian Belt Wrestling Championship, where Naga Wrestling will be one of the main events. However, he noted that for Naga Wrestling to gain international recognition under United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it must meet specific criteria, including participation of both men and women, competition based on weight categories, a point-based scoring system, and the use of wrestling costumes.
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• Kezo further explained that the NWA General Assembly had thoroughly discussed the merits and challenges of these requirements. It was agreed that Traditional Naga Wrestling, which holds deep cultural significance, will be preserved in its original form and will not include women’s participation. This format will continue to be played in major NWA events.
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• Meanwhile, for international recognition, the sport will be referred to as “Naga Wrestling,” aligning with global wrestling standards. He clarified that this system is being implemented for the second time and called for support from the Naga community to ensure the sport’s growth.
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• Naga wrestling (for promotion) will be played during International Hornbill Naga Wrestling Championship, Open Naga Wrestling Championship, National and International Naga Wrestling Championship, Kezo informed.
  
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• NWA General Secretary, Kenlum Hemang, emphasised the rising popularity of wrestling in India and beyond. He explained that the association unanimously decided to introduce two categories of wrestling: Naga Traditional Wrestling, which will retain its original format without women’s participation, and Naga Wrestling, which will be open to both men and women and align with UWW regulations. He also stressed the need to assess whether Naga Wrestling should remain a local sport or be promoted at an international level.
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• For the championship which will begin on March 28, he said that Jacob Zhimomi, Minister for PHED & Cooperation, and Chingmak Chang, President of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation, would attend the event as special guests.
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• Prize money has been announced for different categories. In the men’s open category, the champion will receive INR 2 lakh, while the runner-up will be awarded INR 1 lakh, and the semi-finalists will get INR 50,000 each. In the men’s below 90kg category, the winner will receive INR 1 lakh, the second-place finisher will get INR 50,000, and the semi-finalists will be awarded INR 25,000 each. Similarly, in the men’s below 75kg category, the champion will receive INR 1 lakh, the runner-up INR 50,000, and the semi-finalists INR 25,000 each.
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• For the women’s 60kg and above category, the champion will take home INR 50,000, the second-place finisher will receive INR 25,000, and the semi-finalists will be awarded INR 10,000 each. In the women’s below 60kg category, the champion will receive INR 50,000, the runner-up INR25,000, and the semi-finalists INR 10,000 each.