Nagaland gears up for North-East Olympic Games 2024, NOA holds preparatory meeting

Chümoukedima, 22 February (MTNews): The Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA) successfully conducted its preparatory meeting for the North-East Olympic Games (NEOG) 2024 on 21 February 2024. Held at the Games Headquarters located in the Regional Centre for Sporting Excellence in Chümoukedima District, the meeting was attended by officials from the 15 Sports Associations and Nagaland Olympic Association.

The Games are scheduled to be held from 18 to 23 March 2024 across Chümoukedima, Dimapur, and Kohima districts. The event will consist of 16 sports disciplines, including Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Belt Wrestling, Boxing, Cricket, Football, Freestyle wrestling, Lawn Tennis, Pencak Silat, SepakTakraw, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, and Wushu.

The meeting was chaired by the Secretary-General, with the house extending appreciation to the Chief Minister and the State Government for their efforts in sports development. Congratulations were also offered to participants, organizers, sports associations, local communities, and all contributors to the successful conclusion of the Nagaland Olympic & Paralympic Games 2024.

In the upcoming North East Olympic Games, all 8 states of the region are expected to participate, and preparations are underway. Officials, technical delegates, and senior federation members will arrive in Nagaland to participate and officiate.

Nagaland became the first state to include Cricket in the Olympic movement following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to make Cricket a full-fledged medal event in the Olympic Games.

The games will introduce Belt Wrestling, aiming to promote indigenous sports, particularly those with mass popularity among local communities. Belt wrestling continues to grow on the international stage and athletes from Nagaland have won medals at the international stage representing India.

Coaching camps for Nagaland teams in all 16 disciplines will be conducted under the NOA and respective sports associations, utilizing national-level coaches and trainers.

The NOA also held a debriefing and preparatory meeting with Liaison Officers and Volunteers for the forthcoming games to lay the groundwork. The exemplary work of the Volunteers and the Liaison Officers was appreciated, emphasizing their key role in the success of the games. Volunteers and LOs were reminded that they would be on State Duty to uphold the positive reputation and image of the State.

The NOA reiterated its request for all sections of the people to continue supporting the sports fraternity, especially the youth and sportspersons, and appealed to all believers in the State to continue their prayer support.