Lanuakum Longkumer from Nagaland (extreme right) won two gold medals for the state.
Kohima, April 10 (MExN): Lanuakum Longkumer from Nagaland won two gold medals at the 13th National Kettlebell Championship Grand Prix and the 8th WKSF International Trophy 2026 held in Hyderabad from April 3 to 5.
He secured gold in the 16 kg kettlebell snatch event and the 20 kg kettlebell one arm long cycle event, both performed over 10 minutes.
Longkumer, a native of Marepkong Ward in Ungma Village under Mokokchung district, is a banker by profession and has been involved in sports since childhood. He has been training in kettlebell sport since late 2019.
Participating under the Girevoy Sports India Federation (GSIF) and the World Kettlebell Sports Federation (WKSF), he is among the first athletes to represent Nagaland in professional kettlebell competitions.
“Representing Nagaland gives me a sense of pride and hope that there is tremendous potential in our state. We can do much more to promote active sports such as kettlebell,” he said.
He acknowledged the role of his mentors, Parag Mhetre of Pune and Sandeep Sharma of Shillong, stating that their guidance helped shape his progress in the sport.
Apart from kettlebell sport, Longkumer is also a runner and has been participating in marathons, half-marathons, and 5K and 10K races since 2010. He recently completed the Cubbon Classic 10K in Bengaluru with a time of 39 minutes and 41 seconds. He is aiming to achieve sub-17 minutes in the 5K and sub-36 minutes in the 10K. He is also expected to participate in the TCS World 10K in Bengaluru on April 26.
Looking ahead, Longkumer is preparing for the WKSF Open Asia and Oceania Championship 2026 scheduled for October.
