Nagaland archer aims for Tokyo Olympics 2020

Limalenden Longkumer Mokokchung | April 15   An athlete from a humble Naga village competing in the Olympics may seem like a long shot but not long enough for a young boy aiming to do just so – to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.   Meet Kilenmeren, 18, the third of seven siblings of a family hailing from Mopungchuket Village in Mokokchung District. He was a 13-year-old student of Class 8 when an archery coach, Mave Chakhesang, came to his school in the year 2011. Kilenmeren fell in love with the game instantaneously. The same year he was selected as one of the four boys from his school to compete in Kohima.   “I did not have a bow. Without any practice, and so without any hope, I went to compete in the State level competition. Even if I don’t win, I would at least get the opportunity to see Kohima, I thought,” recalled the talented archer. He won silver in the Olympic round and bronze in the 20 meter round in that competition. “When I saw the equipment others were using, I was envious and I desperately wanted to own one myself,” he recounted. Based on his performance, he was selected to attend the State Archery Academy Kohima, admitted there on December 9, 2011.   Kilenmeren, now a familiar name in the sub-junior and junior archery circuits in India, was recently in his native village. During his brief stay, apart from spending time with his family, he was also seen demonstrating archery to the folks in the village and to the students and teachers of his alma mater, that is, Government Middle School Mopungchuket.  

His first major tournament was the 33rd Sub-Junior National Archery Championship 2013 in Bangalore where he represented Nagaland. He thought back on how, as a first-timer, he failed to cope with the pressures of playing at the national level. He did not win any medal there, but has won at least a medal in every competition since. He is currently ranked No.3 in the Sub-Junior National Rankings as per the Archery Association of India’s official rankings table.   His first major title came in the form of a gold medal in the Mixed Doubles category at the 35th Sub-Junior National Archery Championship 2015 played at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur, pairing with compatriot Songmao Lam. He also won bronze in the Olympic round and gold in the Distance round during another sub-junior national archery competition the same year in Hyderabad. In November of the same year, he was selected as one of the four boys and four girls of Sub-Junior India Team to undergo a month’s training in Korea.   In January this year, he won a silver at the National Ranking Archery Tournament (NRAT) finals played in Shillong. The next week, he won another silver medal in the 60 meter round at the 36th Sub-Junior National Archery Championship in Margao, Goa. He also won a bronze in the 70 meter round, gold in the 30 meter round, and silver in the Olympic round, apart from helping his team win gold in the Team event during the recently held 4th All India Police Archery Championship 2016 at NAPTC Stadium Chumukedima. In July 2015, Kilenmeren was selected as one of the 19 athletes from various streams from all over India by the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme, executed by former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid in association with the GoSports Foundation, which offers mentorship and career guidance to some of India’s most talented athletes. His travelling expenses and equipment are also being sponsored by the Mentorship Programme.   In March 2015, Mopungchuket Reongsanger Club, through the initiative of Bendangkokba IAS, sponsored Kilenmeren’s first recurve bow for which he expressed immense gratitude.   The six-foot tall archer with big dreams is presently undergoing a Sub-Junior Recurve National Archery Coaching Camp at SAI JNS Delhi, one of four boys and four girls from India, and the only archer from Nagaland.