Overwhelming response to inaugural edition of Northeast Judo Championship in Imphal

The inaugural edition of the Northeast Judo Championship, held in Imphal earlier this week, has further given fillip to judo in the region, says Olympian Sushila Devi.

“The Northeast Judo Championship will act as a good platform for players on the fringes to showcase their talent,” the 28-year-old Commonwealth Games medalist from Manipur told Sportskeeda over the phone from Imphal.

Over 200 players in sub-junior, cadet, and junior age groups competed in the three-day long competition that concluded April 3. The competition was jointly organized by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) and Manipur Judo Association. The tournament was named the Sangai Cup.

According to Manipur’s international judo player, more competition at the grassroots level will certainly enable budding athletes to gain more experience before they enter the national competition. Manipur fielded A and B teams in the Northeast Judo Championships. While the A team won the overall trophy with 41 medals, including 18 golds.

“I believe next edition of the Northeast Judo Championship will attract more players,” Sushila added. “Good competition at the grassroots level will be a big advantage for the budding players from the Northeast.”

Besides Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram competed in the competition.

“All the competitors during the Northeast competition were given boarding and lodging facilities,” Jiwan Sharma, the former national coach, said.

Sharma is currently associated with IIS in Bellary as a judo expert. The IIS has also opened two judo training centers in Manipur. The IIS recently opened two judo centers in Manipur and supported the Manipur cadet team for the national championship.

In 2022, Manipur’s teenager Linthoi Chanambam became the first Indian judoka to win a gold medal at the World Cadet Judo Championship held in Sarajevo. The 16-year-old also won gold at the 2022 Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships. Linthoi is supported by IIS and practice in Bellary.

“Manipur has huge potential in judo. Selected judo players from Manipur practice in Bellary for advanced training. The plan is to give more exposure to the budding players from Northeast,” Sharma added.