Diu, May 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his video message during the inauguration of the first edition of the Khelo India Beach Games, spoke about the transformative power of sports, saying the KIBG would become a milestone in India’s sporting history.

Puleno Neikha, coach of Nagaland’s women’s sepak takraw team, wholeheartedly echoes PM Modi’s sentiments. According to her, the impact of sports has already begun to show in her state over the past few years, and this remarkable initiative by the Government of India will now open up new avenues of opportunity for Nagaland girls.

Sepak takraw is the most prevalent and popular sport in Nagaland. It was introduced in the state in 1995 as a recreational activity, initiated by physical education teacher Holse Khario and supported technically by the Sports Authority of India. Since then, sepak takraw has come a long way in Nagaland, with a large number of boys and girls now registered in the sport.

Since 2004, the state government has made special arrangements for training in sepak takraw in Dimapur. Coach Puleno, herself a former national-level player and a women’s team coach at the 2018 Asian Games, currently trains girls at this academy. Six girls of her team are currently serving in the Nagaland Police and most importantly, three of whom got their jobs because of their achievements in sepak takraw.

“Our girls have won medals at every level. We won the bronze medal in the first edition of Khelo India Beach Games. Before that, we won medals at the Goa National Games and again this January at the senior nationals. In addition, our boys and girls won multiple medals at the Khelo India Youth Games held in Bihar. Our players have been consistently winning medals at all Khelo India events. Now that the Government of India has launched the Beach Games, I believe this will open up new doors of opportunity for our children,” Puleno told SAI Media.

Puleno shared that sepak takraw is widely recognised in Nagaland and that the government is taking several steps to promote it. As a result, the state has produced many outstanding international players.

“The government is making strong efforts to strengthen sepak takraw. After our players won medals at the Goa National Games and the Senior Nationals, they were awarded cash prizes. The sport is consistently featured on the Khelo India platform, and its inclusion in the very first Beach Games is proof of its growing popularity across the country. This will definitely benefit the players in the times to come.” Puleno said.

Ketose Thiyosikose, the head of the Nagaland delegation in Diu and the Sports Director in Dimapur, mentioned that a special grassroots talent hunt is being run for sepak takraw.

“We conduct coaching camps in rural areas, and most of our players come from these regions. Most of the girls playing in Diu are from rural backgrounds. We take them into our academy between the ages of 10 to 14, where they gain years of experience.

“The selected children are trained in open grounds, which helps them adjust better to playing on sand,” Thiyosikose said, adding: “Naga girls are highly dedicated. Being from a hilly region, they have always been naturally good at sepak takraw.”

–IANS

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