Nagaland Police 1st Inter-School Sports Festival culminates

The culmination ceremony of the Nagaland Police 1st Inter-School Sports Festival 2026 was held at Chümoukedima Football Stadium on Saturday. More than 380 students from 15 Police School across state participated in the first edition of the Nagaland Police 1st Inter-School Sports Festival, with NPCS 1st NAP Battalion being declared as the overall champion.
Addressing the gathering as the special guest, advisor to chief minister, vice president, Athletics Federation of India, and secretary general, Nagaland Olympic Association, Abu Metha congratulated all participant who qualified to compete in the sports festival, which he termed as a state-level meet. He emphasized that reaching the championship itself was an achievement, stating that every student present was already a winner for having represented their schools and districts.
Describing the festival as historic, Metha noted that despite more than six decades of Nagaland’s statehood, this was the first time such a structured inter-school sports meet had been organized for police schools. He asserted that the day was not about looking back at what had not been done, but about celebrating progress and building for the future.
He further lauded DGP Rupin Sharma for taking the initiative to streamline and formalize the functioning of the Regimental Schools by registering a society and introducing systems that would improve administration, funding avenues and overall standards.
Terming Sharma a progressive leader, he also appreciated his efforts toward transparency and modern governance, including use of social media as a tool for public engagement.
Highlighting the performances witnessed during the competitions, Metha remarked that the students displayed immense raw talent despite limited exposure to professional coaching and infrastructure.
He also urged all to draw inspiration from Naga sporting icons such as Dr. T. Ao, Chekrovolu Swuro, and Hokato Sema, challenging students that if previous generations could excel despite fewer facilities, the present generation could achieve even greater heights through hard work and determination.
Metha also spoke about the sacrifices of police force, describing Nagaland Police as the first responders in times of crisis and a pillar of security for society.
He added that Regimental Schools, many of which cater to children of police personnel, function under challenging circumstances and deserve greater recognition and support, and assured that he would explore possible avenues, including CSR initiatives and collaborative efforts, to further strengthen the schools and create more opportunities for students.
Meanwhile, delivering his address as the guest of honour, DGP Rupin Sharma, described the event as a “big moment” for the Nagaland Police school fraternity. He said that although private institutions have regularly organized sports events, it took nearly 60 years for police schools to hold a structured state-level competition of this scale. He however expressed hope that such initiatives would eventually pave way for standardized competitions involving police, private, and government schools together.
Sharing the journey of reforms initiated after he assumed office, Sharma said a detailed review of the schools was undertaken in 2023. He noted that one key challenges identified was the absence of a unified structure, with schools functioning independently and facing financial constraints.
To address this, he noted that a society was registered, which enabled schools to receive support from donors, companies and government sources.
He further revealed that teacher recruitment was recently streamlined through open advertisements, attracting qualified candidates including postgraduates and B.Ed holders, marking a significant improvement in academic standards. He also added that efforts were also made to standardize uniforms and syllabus across all Nagaland Police schools to ease the financial burden on families, especially during transfers.
Sharma further noted that schools largely operate on modest monthly contributions from police personnel along with tuition fees, highlighting the financial limitations under which they function.
He however noted that sponsorship support for the festival and assistance from corporate and government sources had helped improve infrastructure, including addition of books and computers.
Encouraging students, Sharma reminded them that sports was not only about winning but about participation, discipline and learning from competition.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by convener, organizing committee, Bendangchuba, special presentation by Mahila Band 15th IR Bn, while closing remark was delivered by organizing secretary, K Edward Ngullie, and benediction offered by Executive Secretary NPBCA, Rev Tiatoshi Lkr.