Indian Super League 2014 and the "Manipur United FC"

Somorjit Yenkokpam *

9th Manipur State League 2014: Match between AIM Vs FC Khanglai on 19 Sep 2014 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

The inaugural session of the Indian Super League is all set to kick off today the 12th October 2014 at the Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, with great publicity and splendor. It's good news that Indian football is finally getting the much deserved shot in the arm.

It's also very good news that there are not less than 14 (fourteen) footballers from our state playing in the 8 (eight) participating clubs of the ISL 2014, probably the highest number of footballers from a single state in India. No wonder the North East United FC has six players from Manipur.

Allow me to share the names of the footballers in 4 (four) different clubs participating in the ISL 2014.

Name of the Clubs	Name of Manipur Players
North East United FC	1. Jibon Singh 2. Pritam Kumar Singh 3. Boithang Haokip 4. Milan Singh 5. Seminlen Doungel 6. David Ngaihte
Chennaiyin FC	1. Dhanachandra Singh 2. Gouramangi Singh 3. Khelemba Singh
Delhi Dynamos FC	1. Naoba Singh 2. Govin Singh
Kerala Blasters	1. Renedy Singh
Mumbai City FC	1. Susil Kumar Singh 2. Singam Subash Singh

I sincerely wish for the very best to all these esteemed players from the State in performing their very best in the ISL 2014.

So, why do I feel sad the next moment when I think of the declining quality of football in the State.

The All Manipur Football Association (AMFA), the governing body of football clubs and football players in the State is at present allegedly being run by non-performing and corrupt officials.

Every year, there are serious allegations of match-fixing, biased judgments and mismanagement during the Manipur State League, the premier football tournament of the State, organized by the AMFA.

The final match of the 7th MSL 2012 ended in a controversial 9-1 defeat of the MPSC by SSU to cheat the then point topper AIM club from winning the tournament. After intense pressure the AMFA constituted an Enquiry Commission which only resulted as an eye-wash.

Even during the ongoing 9th Manipur State League 2014, everybody who knows and love football will say that the match between SSU and ZFC on October 7, 2014 was fixed in favour of ZFC. SSU, the winner of the 7th MSL 2012 and the present point topper will never go down 2-8 to an underdog team like ZFC unless the match was rigged.

Where was the AMFA then during these sordid incidents ? Why they are always turning a blind eye to such serious corruption which could demoralize and destroy many clubs and several promising footballers of the State ? Are they really promoting or deliberately killing football in the State ?

I wonder, if the AMFA is a competent governing body of football in the State, why don't they try to sponsor and unify the fourteen players from the State playing in different clubs in the ISL 2014 to form a combined force to play for a State Club in the ISL 2014.

I know, that would be hoping too much from the AMFA. But I sincerely hope that by taking the cue of the Indian Super League 2014, the concerned politicians, officials in the Sports Department, Clubs and Associations, and sympathizers of Football in the State will come together to tap and promote the numerous talents playing the beautiful game called Football, in and outside the State, to form a "Manipur United FC".

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* Somorjit Yenkokpami wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer can be reached at Somorjityenkokpam(at)yahoo(dot)in
This article was posted on October 13, 2014.

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