Jeevan Tara has become the first male athlete from Arunachal Pradesh to win a medal in the senior men’s category in any Asian-level championship across all disciplines. Tara achieved this feat when he secured the bronze medal at the 9th Asian Pencak Silat Championship held in Vietnam.
The karatekas from Arunachal Pradesh’ Seishinkai Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Association bagged 7 gold, 2 silver, and 10 bronze medals at the 9th International Karate Championships for the Challengers Cup.
Kimi Kamblai, Bahadur Ekke, Omso Kri, Yali Mimi, Nido Jirnia, Tapi Ngoju, and Trisha Barman won gold medals.
Arunachal has excelled in individual sports, particularly in martial arts. More talent should be identified and given training starting from the grassroots level, where there is a pool of untapped potential. The sports facilities must be upgraded to provide the necessary infrastructure, enabling athletes to compete on the world stage. Athletes should also be given incentives after each performance, and medal winners must be rewarded to encourage them to pursue sports as a career.
Many parents are reluctant to send their children into sports because it is still seen as an activity that hampers academic progress, with no clear career options.