NWA team pose for a photo in Dimapur on April 11.
Dimapur, April 11 (MExN): A four-member Naga wrestling team will represent India at the UWW Asian Belt Wrestling Championship 2026 to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on April 13 and 14. The team will participate under the aegis of the All India Traditional Wrestling and Pankration Federation (AITWPF), with Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA) president Vivolie Kezo leading the contingent.
The wrestlers representing the team include Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü, who will compete in the above 100 kg category in both freestyle and classic formats; Venuzo Dawhuo in the below 100 kg category in freestyle and classic; and Nlumrai Hegwang in the below 80 kg category in freestyle.
The team is scheduled to depart from Dimapur on April 11 and is expected to return on April 17.
The Nagaland Wrestling Association expressed gratitude to Minister for Tourism and Higher Education Temjen Imna Along and the Department of Tourism, Government of Nagaland, for sponsoring the team.
The association also acknowledged the minister’s initiative in promoting Naga wrestling and efforts to include the indigenous sport in the upcoming World Nomad Games 2026, also to be held later this year in Bishkek. The NWA appealed to the wrestling fraternity and the general public to extend support and encouragement to the team representing the state and the country at the championship.
