Soram Lokeshore : To be successful in sports, one must be well educated, as sports need brainwork

Seram Neken *

Soram Lokeshore :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

One can become a successful sportsperson with proper education and discipline. Such ideas had already been experimented by the elder players in their lives. Love of sports did not deter the educational career of veteran player Soram Lokeshore. 'ON THE GOLDEN FOOTPRINTS' reproduces here the sports profile of former college lecturer S. Lokeshore from Ratneshwori Goswami's Akao Parei Chankhrabasing published in the Huieyen Lanpao (Manipuri).

Born on Tuesday, the 21st April 1936, Soram Lokeshwar is the last son of Soram Ongbi Ibeyaima Devi of Nagamapal RIMS Road Soram Leikai, Imphal. As he had lost his parents during childhood, his grandmother Leiren Devi brought him up, taking the responsibility for his studies. His brother Soram Achou also played a big role in his life.

He started attending primary classes at Porompat during the Second World War, and studied further at Upper Primaty School at Thangmeiband in the post war period in 1946. Lokeshore's sports career started in 1954, when he was studying in Class IX in the Johnston School. RK Hajursana from Nagamapal guided him in sports.

Further, his sports achievements gained momentum in DM College as he gradually became an all rounder player. In order to divert attention from sports, his family sent him to University of Bombay for Post-Graduation studies. However, his enthusiasm in sports could not be overruled during his stay in Bombay from 1963 to 1965.

His favourite game being Hockey, veteran Lokeshore also played Football and Athletics (Middle Distance Runner) from his early days. During those days, there was no coach to impart training on sports and to give instructions on diet. As a convention, players of his time took a live egg and a glucose ample before setting on the field.

According to veteran player Lokeshore, it was in fact a wrong exercise. Regarding the purchase of glucose amples, he narrated an interesting story in which the players went to purchase a box of glucose ample in Dibugarh. The pharmacist did not give the glucose ample as it was meant for injection only. As he further said, honey was very effective for gaining energy.

During his schooldays, Shri Lokeshore was hard-working in both studies and sports. In 1955, he appeared the Matric Examination. The subject for the last day of the examination was Commercial Geography and he had also to participate in the State League at Mapal Kangjeibung at 3.30 PM on that day. Lokeshore was a player of Imphal Sporting Club which was to play against Eastern Sporting Union. He hurriedly set out for the field and joined the match in Left-In position. Luckily, his examination result was successful and he got 57 marks in Commercial Geography.

He turned out to be individual champion in the State Games organized by All Manipur Sports Association from 1955 to 1960. He also earned the Best Athlete title in Athletics several times in DM College from the year 1956 to 1959. He took the title of 'Best Sportsman' in DM College in 1956 and 1958. Shri Lokeshore became the Best Middle Distance Runner in the 4th Guwahati University Inter-College Sports Meet in 1958.

While he was in Bombay University, his monthly expenses was limited to rupees one hundred and fifty, rupees fifty being his scholarship. During those days in Bombay in 1965, he participated in the Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at Gymkhana Ground, where he could register one goal. His family members realized his involvement in games, only when his pictures appeared in the National Newspapers. Participation in sports was an advantage to Lokeshore, as the Hostel authority provided him certain facilities with respect to time of study at night. In 1963 and 1964, Lokeshore was adjudged as the Best Sportsperson in Wilson College, Bombay.

Imphal Sporting Club, of which Lokeshore was a player in Left-in or Half positions, emerged as the champion of CC Meet in 1966, while it got runners-up positions in the 1957, 1959 and 1967 editions of CC Meet. Some of the players of Imphal Sporting Club, by that time, were Wahengbam Khelen, Wahengbam Mathang, L. Tondonba, Sougaijam Somorjit, Thangtkholet Kipgen, Paokhokam Lingjen, Bonomali, Gopal Macha, Ph. Ibochou, RK Tombi etc.

He was in Manipur Team in the Assam Inter-district Tournaments from 1957 to 1962, and he captained the state team in 1960 and 1961. Shri Lokeshore took charge as captain of Manipur Team in the Exhibition Football Match with Mohamadan Sporting Club held in Silchar in 1962. He was also Captain in the All India Civil Services Football Tournament in New Delhi in 1968. Regarding his Athletics feats, he won Gold medal at the 4X400 metre relay race and Bronze medal at the 4X100 relay run in the All Assam Athletic Meet held in 1965.

Being successful in the Class-II Assam Football Referee Examination conducted in Sibasagar in 1960, Lokeshore became one of the pioneer football Referees of Manipur, the others being Elangbam Ibohal, Th Maniratan, and Ngairangbam Mani.

In Hockey, Manipur won the Assam Inter-district Tournament held in Shillong in 1957 and the state became champion in 1959 at Silchar. Lokeshore took part as a Hockey player during these games. In 1968 Golaghat Tournament, he captained the state Hockey Team which earned the runners-up position. In 1959, Lokeshore along with three other Manipuris joined the Assam Team which participated in the 33rd National Hockey Championship held in Hyderabad. Lokeshore recalled the other players as Ng. Jugindrokumar, S. Syamo and A Ibotombi.

Along with Lokeshwar, Thongam Suni from Keishamthong Top Leirak, Madneshore (Babu) from Khurai Lairikyengbam Leikai and Longjam Tombi from Elangbam Leikai participated in the National championship held at Ooty in 1968.

He had the opportunity to take part in the Civil Services Hockey Tournaments in 1961 and 1962 in New Delhi, 1972 in Bhopal and 1973 in Imphal. He also participated in the Beighton Cup in 1963. During his stay in Bombay from 1963 to 1965, he joined the Young Sports Club and took part in Bombay League, Agha Khan Gold Cup etc.

Besides being the first Umpire in Hockey, Shri Lokeshore is also a sports writer who wrote for the erstwhile Manipur Times Daily and Matam weekly. He has also been participating in sports related programmes in All India radio Imphal till date. In matters of sports organization, his name has not been left out. As early as 1966, he was the convener of the Guwahati University Inter-College Football Tournament held at Imphal. Still today, he is in the field and working at various capacities for development of Hockey and Football in Manipur.

Regarding his teaching profession, Lokeshore served as a Teacher of Adult High School for four years from 1960. After completing Masters Degree, he worked as History Lecturer in Thoubal College from 1965 to 1984, and later in Manipur College till his retirement on 31st August 1996. Having an excellent and long career in sports, Shri Lokeshore gained innumerable feats in sports. He appeals to the contemporary players that indispensible possessions of an outstanding sportsperson must be good manner, politeness, discipline, education and presence of mind.

Soram Lokeshore :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

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