Chekrovelü Swuro ~ Aiming for the stars

Even with the latest commendable feat of the Indian National Women Archery team that won Silver in the 46th World Archery Championships held in Turin, Italy in July 2011, Chekrovolü Swuro, as one of the three-member team still feels that her Greatest Award is yet to be won. 

She has put the map of Nagaland to a global audience in the field of Archery but there is no air of pride in her, as she strictly confesses to being a daughter of the land, who grew up in an ordinary family. 

But her achievements are, by all means worth celebrating, although she refuses to take credit for making India proud. In her almost 2 decades of mastering Archery, she has represented India in over 30 Tournaments held in more than 30 countries across the world including Bangkok, China, US, Iran, London, Turkey, Italy among others. 

During these series of events, she has immensely contributed to bringing home numerous Bronze and Silver Medals from the World Championships and Asian Games but the Individual Silver that she won way back in 1999 in Bangkok remains a precious feat for her.

She has many winning moments to recall but she still insists that these victories would not have been possible if it weren’t for her sister, Vesevolü who is an Archer herself. Recalling how she took her first test at Patiala in Punjab Under-14 Archery Championship in 1995, she affirms that her sister has been her mentor all the way.

“Whatever I am today is because of her”, she confesses as she looks back on the times when her dad used to encourage her to follow in her sister’s footsteps. “My Mom was a bit hesitant”, she expresses, but commits to having the greatest support from her sister for all times.

She remembers with fondness her four years’ training in the Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur which she completed in 2002. Although deprived of experiencing High School & College life, she doesn’t seem to regret taking the road less traveled.

Her passion for the game stayed even with the challenge of adjusting to several weather conditions, lifestyles, food habits and the like. These are little hurdles she comes across each time she sets out to play for a world audience. But she enjoys the pleasure of seeing new places and making new friends, and with such simplicity expresses that her tiredness from a journey vanishes the moment she sees the beauty of a particular place.

But unmistakably, it is her love for the game that has brought her this far. One can see that she is committed to it even as she plans on giving her best shot for as long as she is able and someday she wishes to come back home and impart whatever knowledge and experience she has gained about Archery in the state.

She is encouraged to see that Nagaland has an Archery Academy now, as well as the growth of Sepaktakraw here while expressing that this is one improvement in the state as far as sports is concerned. However, she is mindful of the fact that there is no enough facility for sportspersons here. Otherwise, she feels that Nagas can really excel in sports.

Currently at the India Coaching Camp in Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, Chekrovolü is undergoing training for participation in various international tournaments including the 3rd Archery World Cup in the USA, the 2nd Asian Archery Championship in Iran, Olympic Test Event in London and the 4th Archery World cup at Shanghai China all scheduled for this year.

The Ace Archer keenly expresses that it is ultimately the Olympic Games that people in her field aim for. Even with a couple of tourneys coming up before the London Olympic Games 2012, it is her hope to be part of it throughout. And yet, she is aware that participation in the Olympics would solely depend on her performances in the upcoming tournaments.

Interestingly, Archery seems to be in the family’s genes as she excitedly informs of her younger brother, Thepuvoyi who has joined her and her sister in the field. Both of them will be participating in the 3rd Archery World Cup in the USA scheduled to be held next month from August 2-7, 2011.

Even with holidays a hard bargain, one can see her passion for the game but when asked what it means to her, she reasonably states that it is just one aspect of life. “There are a lot of other important things like family…that comes together to make life” she says.

Over and above, she insists that she is trying to make the best use of the God-given Gift, for which she is grateful. And of course, despite all the hard work that has reaped her great success, she is thankful to the state government while making particular mention of the Chief Minister of Nagaland, who is also the President of the Nagaland Olympic Association for his full support.

She also remembers how the state government extended her financial help to buy her bow when she first started off. The eighth daughter in the family from amongst 10 children, the champ from Dzulhami Village has come a long way. 

For the love of the Game

When I first met Hokaito Zhimomi as a student in Calcutta, his zest for Cricket was firmly placed with signs of greater things to come.
By then, he was already so familiar with Eden Gardens, the holy grail of cricket in India. And he obviously nurtured that love for the game as is evident from the heights he has scaled. But regardless, even as a smart, confident and a chirpy Sports Star, he speaks so little of his greater achievements.
Yet, a National Media describes him as a Cricketer “known for his nippy left-arm fast bowling and for his right-handed big hitting prowess…a cricket coach’s ideal model when it comes to athleticism and smart fielding skills.”
Indeed, Nagaland can take pride in producing a home-bred Sports Star for a cricket crazy nation where its mad fans do not mind watching a really lengthy match standing by the roadside, and never minding sharing a small screen even in the humid air.
As the First Naga Cricketer (or for that matter, from the whole of North East Region) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata Knight Riders, Hokaito Zhimomi has certainly carved a niche for himself in the national stage. But the honour didn’t emerge overnight for his relationship with bats, bowling and wickets date back to his childhood.
He has always loved cricket, and it’s easy to take notice when it carries more than a decade of dedication. When you talk to a sportsperson, often, the game takes centre-stage but he also values education as he recalls doing his schooling from St Paul’s and Livingstone School Dimapur respectively. Perhaps, his graduation pursuit from St Xavier’s College, Calcutta, paved way for him to join the Kalighat Club in Kolkata but then he’s been playing cricket much before he joined college.
Prior to that, he played for Flamingo CC in Dimapur and eventually went to Guwahati for coaching wherein, his all round cricketing won the admiration of important people in the field that he was called by the Bengal Cricket Association after he has displayed his skills for several clubs.
Over the years, he has brushed shoulders with the like of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly, played various matches including the finals of the Tiens Cricket Cup from Sparks CC as Captain, West Bengal under 19, Dalhousie Athletic Club, Kolkata, been Part of Kolkata Knight Riders, 1st Edition of IPL 2005, played for West Bengal both in the state and national level among several others.
For the Captain of a Cricket College Team, including the University of Calcutta in this aspect, Hokaito has come a long way developing himself in the true manner of sportsmanship. It is his aspiration to see sports grow in Nagaland, but he reasonably expresses that as of now, “Nagaland has no proper scope for cricket”.
“Obviously parents will not allow their children to take up cricket as a serious profession for now, because at the end of the day, money matters. Once this situation is changed, it’s going to be different’, he reasons while pointing to his observation that cricket is coming up in Nagaland. “We have a state team now and we will have a very good team”, he is hopeful.
He is a model for an entire sports generation as his commitment seems rooted in one simple goal of being part of the game for the sheer pleasure of it. The 25 year old insists that there are people behind his success as he respectfully holds the inspiration of Kito Zhimomi, Income Tax Commissioner Kolkata, Wati Jamir, Ato Yepthomi, Advisor to CM, the Chief Minister himself, and the Dimapur District Sports Association. He also has the support of his family tree including 3 siblings, a father who is a businessman and a mother homemaker.
The Young Cricketer is based in Kolkata, and plays for Kalighat Club. Fuelled with energy, I believe he serves as an inspiration for many cricket fans in the country, and is a true Sports Icon even for an infant sports-breeding place such as our State.