Vishü Rita Krocha

Kohima | October 6

“Khuri pharibi (chop firewood), go the jungle, fetch water, go to the farm…” This is a refrain Moalong Yaden has grown accustomed to whenever he talks about ‘fitness’ to people around him. But that has not stopped him from following his passion for fitness and bodybuilding.

Brushing all these negative comments aside, he has gone on to become the first and only Naga athlete to participate in the international level in this respect. Competing with the best in the world at the 12th WBPF World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship at Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Moalong Yaden secured the 5th place overall in the category of Sports Fitness Physique under 170 cm.

Along with him were a girl from Ukhrul who won Silver Medal in Bodybuilding and two other girls from Sikkim who won.

“It was a very proud moment for us. I felt very happy seeing these girls making it to the Top 5, especially coming from North East and competing with the best in the world. I would like to see our Naga sisters participating too,” he told The Morung Express in an exclusive interview.

Moalong, who performed on Tuesday (October 5) is scheduled to travel back to Nagaland starting October 7. With 80 participants, India registered as the biggest team at the 12th WBPF World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship, which also had the participation of more than 20 countries. The Indian athletes were earlier selected from a selection trial held at Chandigarh.

“I feel so proud! Just getting selected for the India team is a very big thing for me because India is a country with one of the highest populations,” he shared. Describing it as a “very good experience,” Yaden said he learnt a lot of things. “People here are very serious about this game, even me, I am serious and I am sure me competing here will motivate youngsters to pursue fitness,” he expressed.

Stating that “this whole journey from Nagaland to Uzbekistan was sponsored by the people of Nagaland,” he added, “My deepest love and prayers goes to the people of Nagaland.” The funds required for his travel was sourced through crowdfunding. “I had approached the government and they did help me, but it wasn’t enough,” he explained.

Fitness, he feels is very new to Nagaland. “People really don’t have any idea about what fitness is and when we talk about fitness, people still say- chop firewood, fetch water, go the farm. And when it comes to food, you eat different when you compete professionally but people think it is a waste of money; whereas the same people spend so much money on alcohol,” he observed.

While fitness/bodybuilding is an expensive sport, he however said, “I won’t say it can’t be pursued by a middle-class family. It is possible! You just have to be smart enough, work hard and save money for the game.” Emphasizing that any other sport is expensive, he asserted that “you have to be consistent and work hard. There is no magic way, no political support that can get you in.”

Moalong has had his own moment of weakness even as he confessed that as a student he was into drugs and alcohol while he pursuing his graduation in Sikkim. The substance abuse led him to hospitalization and to this day, he remembers the doctor who told him that he would die very soon if he continued with the same lifestyle. While he resolved to give up his vices, a turning point in his life was when he lost a friend from overdose.

Eventually, he started investing money on fruits, eggs, food to complement his passion for bodybuilding and subsequently participated in Junior Mr Sikkim wherein he won the second place under 60 kg. “That was the first trophy I won,” he recalled.

Further, he worked as a Trainer for a year in Dimapur following which he got himself certified as a personal trainer from Delhi. His first professional championship was at the Jerai Fitness Men’s Physique, where he finished as second runner up. There was no turning back since and earlier this year, he was also placed among the Top 10 of Federation Cup, a national bodybuilding championship.