Kohima, Feb 2 (MExN): Giving a huge boost to indigenous games and sports in Nagaland, a team from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), London, UK, on a documentary venture to promote indigenous games and culture to the world, just concluded their 16-days visit and stay at Shesulimi village, under Zunheboto district in Nagaland.
The team from BBC with the help of the state Department of Youth Resources and Sports in collaboration with Shesulimi village and the adjoining villages in the sub-division organized a programme to prepare a documentary on an indigenous game called “Apkhu Kikiti” (Leg Fight) which also included other traditional activities of the Sumi Nagas from January 16 to the 31th.
The BBC team comprising 16 technical crews and six athletes began their stay and training at Shesulimi from January 16 onwards, where they were given a traditional welcome by the hosting village in the form of welcome being accorded to warriors, war dances and a variety of other cultural shows on their arrival.
The visiting athletes began their training in the Sumi indigenous martial art or ‘Apkhu Kikiti’ and ‘Angu Kupusu’ (Spear kicking) in preparation for the tournament scheduled for January 30.
Besides the intense training, the team also participated wholeheartedly with the local people in various Sumi traditional activities like, community fishing, honey collecting, jungle-clearance for cultivation, traditional trapping, firewood collection and water fetching, community hunting, folk story telling sessions, as well as being treated to sumptuous local cuisines during community feasts. The visiting team also took part in church programmes.
In the Apkhu Kikiti tournament sponsored by the BBC team and organized by Shesulimi village, 8 teams including the BBC team (3 athletes each from USA and UK) comprising 42 participants took part.
The champion was given a cash prize of Rs. 20,000 along with a traditional Sumi dao while the runners-up was given a cash prizes of Rs. 10,000. A cash prize of Rs. 1000 was given to the losing semi-finalist while Rs. 500 in cash was given to all the participants by the BBC team.
In a well-contested final, Jason Bennett of USA (BBC) nicknamed “Tokugha Akipichiu” by the local people, was crowned the champion who defeated Rajko Radovic of England (BBC) nicknamed “Kawato”.
Ghukato of Shesulimi, the local favorite, has to be contented with Rs. 1000 losing to Rajko in the semi-final along with Bradley Johnson, USA (BBC) another favorite who lost to Jason in the other semi-final.
The eventful programme culminated with a prize distribution ceremony followed by, of course, the customary Naga community feast, where more than 2000 people turned up.
