Kohima: Nagaland is known for its rich culture and traditions, and the Hornbill Festival— an annual gala that displays Naga heritage, has been capturing the attention of people worldwide. But not many people outside Nagaland know that the state has a rich and varied culture of wrestling, especially Naga wrestling.
In January this year, locals from the Chakhesang tribe of Thipüzu Village, under the Phek district built a temporary indoor stadium with a seating capacity of around 5,000 and hosted the 29th Chokri Area Wrestling Association meet. For the love of Naga wrestling, not having an indoor stadium certainly did not stop this village from hosting the area wrestling meet.
Likewise, wrestling championships at various levels from the village to the state, including the Hornbill wrestling championship, are conducted every year, with thousands of spectators witnessing each tournament.
So what makes the indigenous sport unique?
In Naga wrestling, one’s opponent is called “khrietho-u” in the Tenyidie language, meaning “beloved friend”. This is perhaps the only sport that addresses one’s opponent as a beloved friend, as players grapple for the spirit of brotherhood.
In this traditional grappling game, each wrestler wears a coloured cloth, which is tied in knots around the waist. Wrestlers aim to knock each other off their feet as they hold on to their opponent’s waist. If a wrestler’s chest, shoulder, back, buttock or thigh touches the ground, the other wrestler wins the bout.
Also Read | In this Naga sport, players grapple for spirit of brotherhood
Looking back
The Naga-style wrestling is the most popular indigenous sport among the Tenyimia community and has existed since time immemorial. According to the Naga Wrestling Association (NWA), how and where wrestling originated is shrouded in mystery.
Tenyimia is a group of Naga tribes that trace common ancestry and have the largest speakers of a standard language called the Tenyidie language.
However, the first form of raw and organised wrestling came from the gathering of Tenyimia villages for events in the late 1930s and early ’40s, when the highway construction from Kohima to Imphal (Manipur) brought people from the Tenyimia villages for work. Back then when cash was scarce and the need to pay house tax to the British became a burden, many had joined the construction works to earn “hard cash”.
This allowed the leaders from respective villages to act as matchmakers and encouraged well-built persons from their villages to wrestle during lunch breaks, thus making way for inter-village wrestling matches amongst the Tenyimia people.
The first organized wrestling in Nagaland dates back to 1966 when the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) organized a wrestling meet at Phezu, Jotsoma under Kohima district. Before this, in 1965, an organized wrestling event was held under FGN at Shepoumaramth in Manipur.
Subsequently, in 1969, the Naga Wrestling Board was formed and was later rechristened as Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA). The tradition is predominantly played by three tribes of Nagaland—Angami, Chakhesang, and Zeliang. The NWA has been organizing the Naga wrestling tournament annually since 1974, after which it became a biennial event.
Later in 1994, it introduced the ‘open championship’ which was played in every alternate year with the NWA tournament. In 2004, it introduced the ‘Hornbill Open championship’. The Open championships provide a platform for wrestlers from all Naga tribes and even national and international wrestlers.
For the love of the game
For sports journalist Zhovezo Resu who hails from the Chakhesang tribe, the traditional game is considered a “must” for the men to participate, especially during the tribe’s Sukrenyi festival celebrated in January. “Our elders or parents usually tell us that if we don’t wrestle, we are not a boy. That was the treatment we got when we were young. Of course, this has changed over time but the love and passion for Naga wrestling never stop because it is in our blood,” he said.
The young journalist who has been closely reporting about the sport for years said that as per oral history, the game was played to dispute or settle issues. The age-old sport which has become a professional game in the state continues to be loved by many.
Also Read | Nagaland govt acquires 13 acres of land to build indoor wrestling stadium
He cited how locals would take a day off from work at the fields and offices, to watch the game. “The craze of Naga Wrestling in the villages is very high, as people would even hire pick-up trucks to go to other villages to witness the sport. That way, children also join their elders to watch wrestling and the trend never stops,” he said.
Unlike other sports, he pointed out that wrestling is the pride for communities that play the sport, and also acts as a bond for these communities. “During the wrestling matches, you would often hear the announcers calling out the name of the wrestlers and where they hail from. This pride also brings villages and communities to the wrestling arena. Significantly, there is no size or weight category in wrestling because it is a men’s fight,” Resu added.
NWA executive C Theyo asserts that Naga Wrestling is distinctive as it brings communities and tribes closer under an atmosphere of healthy competition.
“The Naga Wrestling adheres to traditional unwritten laws which bind one another during the match. At present, there is room for modern rules and regulations that can be framed for solving unexpected disputes and judgement,” he said.
Many Naga wrestlers now compete at national and international wrestling events, as the Naga style of wrestling is similar to belt wrestling. Due to the competitive nature of the sport, Theyo opines that there is a need for young wrestlers to adapt to new training skills, and use modern equipment for exercise, while also maintaining a well-balanced diet.
At present, a few Naga tribes like the Lotha, Ao, and Sumi, are gradually embracing the sport. The recently concluded Open Chakhesang wrestling meet witnessed the participation of upcoming wrestler Sentilong Ozukum (25) from the Ao tribe. The indigenous sport has produced renowned wrestlers like NWA reigning champ Venuzo Dawhuo, Mhasilhoushie Nagi, Menuosetuo Yiese, Vekutho Soho, Pfusato Tetseo, and so on.
Also Read | Nagaland: Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü, 23, wins Angami wrestling title
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