By Moa Jamir
Nagaland's performance at the 38th National Games 2025 in Uttarakhand paints a grim picture of the State’s sporting landscape. With just 10 participants across six disciplines — archery, athletics, boxing, taekwondo, and wrestling — the state secured a mere two bronze medals. This placed Nagaland second from the bottom, just ahead of Sikkim, which also won two bronze medals but had a larger contingent of 33 athletes.
The decline is stark when compared to other North-East states. Violence-hit Manipur fielded 432 athletes and bagged 55 medals and was placed 11th the country. Assam, with 337 participants, earned 34 medals, while Arunachal Pradesh, with 43 players, managed to secure 13 medals. All the remaining states — Meghalaya with 59 players, Sikkim with 33 players, and Tripura with 22 players — managed to field larger contingents than Nagaland.
The glaring disparity raises a pressing question: has Nagaland's sporting prowess diminished drastically within two years, or is this part of a recurring trend?
A look back at Nagaland’s history in the National Games reveals a troubling pattern. The state made an impressive debut at the 33rd National Games in Guwahati in 2007, winning 11 medals, including a gold. However, this momentum was short-lived. In the 34th edition in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Nagaland secured only three bronze medals. The subsequent years saw further decline, with no medals at all in the 2015 and 2022 editions.
Hopes were somewhat revived at the 2023 National Games in Goa, where Nagaland won 8 medals, inclusion a Gold inPencak Silata martial art making its debut that year and two Silvers, in Sepak Takraw and Boxing. However, the state only managed to qualify for seven out of 43 sports disciplines, sending a contingent of 46 players.
This number has now plummeted to just 10 participants in 2025, a glaring reflection of the state’s inconsistency. The 38th National Games from January28 to February 14, as per the PIB, had competitions for 35 sports disciplines will be held with medals for 33.
While the non-inclusion of Pencak Silat and Sepak Takraw in the Uttarakhand Games may have contributed to the drop in participation, the larger issue is the lack of a robust sports infrastructure and policy. The much-touted Nagaland Sports Policy, reportedly in the works since 2018, remains conspicuously absent.
Devoid of a clear roadmap, the strategy seems to be limited to hosting some big events, without any holistic support system and concrete policies. Such ad hoc planninghas perpetuated a cycle of poor preparation and underperformance.
The state's dwindling participation rates and poor medal tally underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive sports policy. It is no longer enough to rely on isolated successes or hope for a breakthrough in emerging sports like Pencak Silat. The state must institutionalise its approach to sports development, ensuring consistent funding, coaching, and infrastructure.
As the countdown begins for the 39th National Games in Meghalaya in 2027, Nagaland must break free from its complacency. The government must expedite the formulation of the Sports Policy and implement it with sincerity and urgency. The road to Meghalaya 2027 should starts now.
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