Heavyweight in the Sports Arena

Today’s stars are products of a tradition of excellence in sports, especially hockey. Nilkamal Singh (1984 Olympics), Thoiba Singh (1988 Olympics), L Tiken (1986 World Cup), and a host of others from Manipur have worn the national cap on different occasions. ‘‘Our players have proved that hard work and discipline are the most important qualities for a sportsperson,’’ says A Aza, a proud sports minister in the Manipur government. It is a proud achievement, especially since Manipur’s fiscal health is nothing to write home about. ‘‘But that has not deterred our people. Though we haven’t been able to provide them the adequate funds, society as a whole has come forward to keep Manipur sports’ flag flying high,’’ adds Aza.

Aza is not far off the mark so far as public involvement in sports goes. As M Pahari, joint director, sports and youth affairs, points out, members of the public donate regularly to various sports associations and turn out in large numbers to watch players train, which encourages aspirants no end. ‘‘Neighbours contribute generously — sometimes even their entire monthly salary — whenever there’s a crisis in a local club,’’ says Olympian Thoiba Singh. Most of Manipur’s stars owe their rise to these local clubs.

There’s also the very conscious decision to play to inborn strengths. ‘‘Our people are small built, they can’t compete with six-footers in sports where height and weight matter,’’ says Pahari. ‘‘That is why we concentrate on sports that have weight categories, besides archery and shooting, which are disciplines indigenous to the region.’’ (SAI executive director C Gopinath, who was in Imphal last week, has also declared that the focus in Manipur would be on contact sports, hockey and martial arts.)

Besides, while Manipur may not have much money to lavish on its sportspeople, the local talent has the best of equipment at its disposal. In Imphal, there’s a stadium exclusively for athletics, a cycle velodrome, a hockey astro-turf, an international-standard swimming pool, a shooting range and a huge indoor stadium, apart from six dedicated football grounds. The state also has 68 NIS-qualified coaches, apart from a host of others hired by various sports associations.

The facilities are especially appreciated by the golden girls of Manipur, most of whom come from humble backgrounds. Triple gold-winner Kunjarani, for instance, is the sole breadwinner in a family of three brothers and six sisters.

Sanamacha Chanu lost her father at an early age and is now supported by her sister.

For many of them, sports is also the way out of a hopeless situation. With the Centre’s announcement of Rs 20 lakh for each gold, Kunjarani, 34, is suddenly rich. The Manipur government has also reserved five per cent of all state jobs for sportspersons; 60 sportspersons with national medals have already secured employment in the state government. ‘‘Besides, most of the international stars have been already provided jobs by public sector organisations like Indian Airlines and FCI,’’ adds Pahari.