Nagaland achieved a milestone today, with 36 newly certified state volleyball referees successfully clearing the Nagaland State Level Volleyball Referee Exam 2023 held at the Multi-Sports Complex in Mokokchung, 15 September. This event was organized by the Mokokchung District Volleyball Association (MDVA) under the aegis of the Nagaland Volleyball Association (NVA) and the Department of Youth Resources & Sports (DYRS) to enhance refereeing competencies, refine volleyball rule knowledge, and elevate the overall quality of volleyball refereeing within Nagaland.
Dr Harish Kumar Tiwari, a certified FIVB Level-1 Coach and Deputy Director of Sports at Nagaland University, along with Ramesh Babu Vidyarthi, a National Referee associated with the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) and All India Referee Examiner, played pivotal roles in overseeing and conducting the exam.
Out of the 37 individuals who registered for the Nagaland State Level Volleyball Referee Exam, 36 successfully earned their certification. These participants hailed from various districts, including 1 from Wokha, 6 from Tuensang, 2 from Longleng, 1 from Phek, and a significant contingent of 27 from Mokokchung district.
During the culmination program, Dr Harish Kumar Tiwari praised the participants for their strong interest in learning and emphasized that volleyball is a highly skilled sport. He encouraged everyone to promote the game within the state and strive for excellence.
Ramesh Babu Vidyarthi, in his speech, commended the participants for their exceptional performance and encouraged them not to limit their aspirations to the state level alone. He reminded them that the sky is the limit and urged them to aim for national recognition while emphasizing the importance of staying updated with the latest rules and regulations.
It is worth noting here that the MDVA set the target to hold the State Level Volleyball Referee Exam during its silver jubilee celebration in 2020, but it was materialized only now due to the pandemic.
In the midst of these achievements, Kilangtoshi Kichu, one of the newly certified referees, expressed to this newspaper his gratitude for the platform provided by MDVA. He recounted his childhood as an avid player and lover of the sport, sharing his experience of refereeing in minor tournaments within the district. Kichu hoped to utilize his newly acquired certification effectively if given the opportunity by society.
Meanwhile, Chem Phom, the sole female participant to attain certification, revealed her longstanding passion for the sport and her dream of becoming a certified referee. She acknowledged the challenging nature of the exam and expressed her determination to continue studying and learning more about volleyball, reaffirming her commitment to the sport.
During a conversation with the media on the sidelines of the event, Ramesh Babu Vidyarthi appealed to print and electronic media to promote the game of volleyball, ensuring wider reach. He emphasized a visibility strategy, quoting “Joh dikhta hai, woh bikhta hai.” He further stressed the importance of making volleyball a state and national game, starting at the grassroots level, from schools to clubs. He appealed to Volleyball Associations and the Government to encourage players and promote the game, nurturing talented players for representation at the district, state, national, and international levels.
During the program, Tiameren Aier, General Secretary of the Nagaland Volleyball Association, acknowledged the Mokokchung District Volleyball Association for organizing this unique training and exam in Nagaland. Short speeches were also delivered by Allen Imchen, Vice President, MDVA, trainees, and the resource persons.
Merangnok Pongener emerged as the topper in the Referee Exam with a score of 88%. The trainees were awarded the official NVA Referee code during the closing ceremony.