Our Sportspersons :: Manipurs contributions to India's medal tally one of the highest
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 05, 2010 -

Among 16 sportspersons from Manipur, who took part in the just concluded XIX Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, seven sportspersons have won medals. Three are gold medals, two silver and two bronze medals. The three gold medals were clinched by Yumnam Renubala Chanu (58 kg category of women's weightlifting ), Laishram Bombela (women's archery recurve team event) and Mayengbam Suranjoy (52 kg men's boxing).

Ng Soniya Chanu won silver medal in 48 kg women's weightlifting and Kh Bheigyabati Chanu won silver medal in women's archery compound team event. The two bronze medals were won by L. Monika Devi (75 kg category of women's weightlifting) and A Sandhyarani (48 kg category of women's weightlifting).

An interesting fact is that six of the medal winning sportspersons from Manipur are women. Suranjoy is the only man who won a medal. Unfortunately, a few other medals which were expected from the Manipuri women cyclists failed to materialize.

Yet seven medals in the total medal tally of India, i.e. 101 make it a remarkable contribution from Manipur's sportspersons. That too, three gold medals, though one is a team achievement, in a tally of 38 gold medals.

If the gold medal tally is divided among the 29 states of India, each state's share is 1.3, which makes Manipur's gold medal contribution surpass three times. And again if the total medal tally is divided among the states of India, each state's part would be 3.4 something.

Manipur has contributed more than double of its share. But if the size and population of the states are to be considered accordingly, the medal contribution by the sportspersons of Manipur, which is a tiny state with hardly three million population, in the XIX Commonwealth Games would be one of the highest or perhaps the highest.

Thus Manipuri sportspersons' performance in every international games lifts the state's reputation of being a powerhouse in sport higher and higher. Thus there is nothing surprising over the selection of Manipuri sportspersons for awarding the most coveted national awards given to exceptional sportspersons and sports-related persons almost every year.

With the winning of some gold medals in an international competition like the Commonwealth Games in which 71 countries participated, we can expect some more national sport awards for Manipuri sportspersons next year.

The surprising fact is that it's only Manipur's sportspersons in the entire North Eastern region of India who can perform such extraordinary feat, which should inspire the sports-loving people of the neighbouring states.

Meanwhile, other good sportspersons of the state also need to be given full support by all concerned including their respective sport bodies and most importantly, the government of Manipur so that they would excell in future national and international competitions.

The state government, particularly the Youth Affairs and Sports Department needs to organise a state level function to accord the medal winners a grand welcome and honour them by presenting cash incentives and other prizes as the government had announced before the Commonwealth Games opened.

It’s high time the people and the authorities put more efforts on building a more formidable powerhouse in sports in Manipur that would dominate every national and international competitions in future.