The 44th General Conference and Sports Meet of the Asetkong Kaketshir Telungjem Mungdang (AKTM) commenced on January 7 at Kobulong under Mokokchung District. More than 600 delegates from Sungratsu, Mopungchuket, Chami, Kobulong, Longpa, and Longjang units are participating in the three-day event, which will culminate on January 9.
Moatoshi Longkumer, Advisor for Labour and Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Excise, addressed the conference as the inaugural guest on the evening of January 7. He stated that the AKTM has chosen a befitting theme, “Pei Ketmung Ajanga Litetba Shisashir” (Educated and Financially Independent), while emphasizing that it is not just a theme for discussion but a direction for life.
Asserting that history shows no nation, community, or individual becomes strong by accident, he said strength gains momentum slowly and is gradually built by persistence and effort without derailing from its vision.
Reflecting on the dynamic economic growth of Japan and Korea with limited resources, he urged the student community to invest in discipline, education, and collective efforts to become a self-reliant society.
Stating that self-reliance is not about the size of wealth but about mindset, he urged delegates to take responsibility for their future by building skills, encouraging enterprise, and refusing to remain dependent. “A self-reliant student is not one who waits for the perfect opportunity; it is one who prepares even when conditions are not perfect,” he asserted.
He further urged students to become intellects who understand that efforts today create freedom tomorrow, to emerge as self-reliant citizens who build an ecosystem for a self-reliant society.
He also stated that sports meets should be held with a purpose and serve as a platform to identify talent, raise standards, and push athletes towards district, state, and national level competitions. He added that if sports are pursued seriously, they shape people in a powerful way by building discipline, respect for rules, teamwork, and resilience. Connecting sports as one of the paths toward self-reliance, he said the qualities learned in sports create not just athletes but leaders, professionals, and responsible citizens.
Short speeches were also delivered by Vitolu, EAC Kubolong, and Takatemejen Pongen, EAC Kiphire.
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Earlier in the day, the sports meet was formally inaugurated by Temsuwangshi Jamir, Assistant Manager, Research and Planning, Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority, who attended as the chief sports patron.
