Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 11
Dimapur is gearing up to host the 14th NWA Open Naga Wrestling & 1st Belt Wrestling Championship 2023 at the incomplete Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex. Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA) President Dr Hiabe Zeliang told a press conference in Dimapur, on March 11, that the two-day event on March 17 and 18 will witness around a hundred wrestlers competing in the open Naga and Belt wrestling championships.
The 2023 championships will be hosted by the Zeliang Wrestling Association with the Kuda Village Council as co-host.
As opposed to the notion of a sport popular in the state only, Dr Zeliang informed that the 2023 championship will have 5 wrestlers from Manipur competing in the Belt Wrestling Championship. He added that a wrestler from the Lotha community have also confirmed participation.
The Belt wrestling championship is scheduled on March 17, which will see competitive matches in 11 different weight categories for both men (49 kg, 54kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, 76 kg, 86kg and 100-plus kg) and women (49 kg, 50 kg, 53 kg and 63kg).
It will be followed by Naga Wrestling championship on March 18. Dr Zeliang informed that the President of the Tenyimi Public Organisation, Advocate Timikha Koza will be a special guest at the inaugural function. He added that they are anticipating Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang as special guest and guest of honour, respectively, on the second and final day.
The championships carry a total cash prize of over Rs 8.4 lakhs for the winners and runners-up, including quarter-finalists in all the weight categories. The prize money for the champion of the Naga wrestling amounts to Rs 2.1 lakh, while in the Belt wrestling, Rs 10,000 is the prize for the champions in the various categories. All the winners in the Belt Wrestling will automatically qualify to represent the state at the national level.
Venue entry tickets will be priced at Rs 2000 (Donor), Rs 500 (chairs) and Rs 100 (gallery). The donors and chairs tickets will be valid for two days, while the gallery ticket will be valid for only one day.
Dr Zeliang further informed that the NWA has tied up with Vi Techs— a Kohima based IT firm, to webcast the event live via mytvshows.in. “We are going to live stream the event in Pay-per-view (PPV) mode in collaboration with Vi Techs,” he said, while adding that the NWA and Vi Techs will hold exclusive rights for the live webcasting. The PPV packages will be Rs 300 for one day and Rs 500 for two days.
In Kohima, registration form will be available at Sports World, opposite Baroda Bank and Colors Studio, Tin Pati; Dimapur- United Sports Agency, NL Road; Jalukie- Ada Nsanglung Grocery, near 3S; Phek- S Printer Enterprise, near District Transport office; Pfutsero- Life Centre Bakery, Chozuba town- CP Stationery. Last date for submission of registration form is March 16, 12:00 pm.
He informed all the wrestlers to be stationed in Dimapur for the weigh-in on March 16 at the competition venue. Other briefings for the competitors as well as the tournament officials will also occur simultaneously the same day.
