Mokokchung, 19 February (MTNews): Seven athletes from Mokokchung district participated in the prestigious 19th National Inter District Junior Athletic Meet (NIDJAM) held from February 16th to 18th in Ahmedabad. While they may not have brought home any medals, their coach, Imchatsung, praised their performance considering the significant challenges they faced and overcame.
The competition, organized by the Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Gujarat, saw 5,558 athletes from 615 districts compete in the under-14 and under-16 age groups. The Mokokchung team comprised Arenmen Longkumlar, Imnasenla, and Toshiwapang Longkumer (60m race), Lochum Kikon (600m race), and Nangpongmeren, Imlinungba Kichu, and Imtijungla Longchar (Long Jump).
Despite their talent and dedication, the athletes encountered various hurdles throughout their journey. Moreover, the athletes faced a starkly different environment and unfamiliar hot climate, dietary restrictions due to different food habits, lack of a proper practice/warm-up area, and long travel time from Mariani to Delhi and then to Ahmedabad took a toll. Additionally, they were lodged 30 kilometers away from the competition venue, further adding to the challenges.
Despite these hurdles, the Mokokchung team delivered a commendable performance, maintaining an average record at the All India National Record levels, according to Imchatsung, the coach.
In the Long Jump category, Imtijungla Longchar secured the 89th spot out of 136 participants with a jump of 2.93m, narrowly missing the qualification for the final. In the boys’ Long Jump, Nangpongmeren and Imlinungba secured 131st and 154th positions, respectively, falling short of qualifying for the final.
Lochum Kikon finished 210th in the 600m race (girls) out of 284 participants with a time record of 02.14.04. Unfortunately, she did not qualify for the final. In the Under-16 girls’ 60m race, Arenmen Longkumlar and Imnasenla secured the 180th and 212th positions, respectively, failing to qualify for the final.
Related News: Mokokchung athletes in Ahmedabad for 19th NIDJAM
Toshiwapang Longkumer represented Mokokchung in the Under-16 boys’ 60m race, securing the 179th position. Despite a strong performance in the heats, he missed the finals by a mere 0.64 seconds, securing the 2nd position in his heat.
“We couldn’t achieve any medals, but our seven participants did well, keeping their records in an average position in the National Record in one of the largest grassroots-level Athletic events in India,” said coach Imchatsung, acknowledging the exceptional circumstances they overcame.
He expressed gratitude to the two guides detailed for them, who guided and cared for the team throughout their journey and stay.
As a token of appreciation, the team presented ethnic Ao Naga waistcoats to both guides on behalf of Mokokchung Athletics.