Moirangthem Kunjabi : 'SSU won CC Meet four times during my Presidentship'

Seram Neken *

'ON THE GOLDEN FOOTPRINTS’ reproduces here the sports profile of veteran football player M. Kunjabi from Ratneshwori Goswami’s Akao Parei Chankhrabasing published in the Hueiyen Lanpao (Manipuri) .

In 1962, the All Manipur Sports Association organized an exhibition football match between Manipur Eleven team and the Mohan Bagan Team. Although the first match ended in a draw, the Manipur Eleven team was about to get utter defeats in the second match with the Mohun Bagan team leading by 7 goals to nil.

Meanwhile, one of the Manipur players startled the spectators by repulsing two goals against the Mohun Bagan team which included nine star national players of the time. The player who scored the two goals for Manipur team was none other than Moirangthem Kunjabi from Singjamei Sorokhaibam Leikai Imphal.

Born on 16th October 1941, Moirangthem Kunjabi is the son of Moirangthem Tolen and Thounaojam Ningol Nganbi Devi of Singjamei Sorokhaibam Leikai Imphal. A well known footballer playing in Right Inside and Centre Forward positions, Kunjabi had started playing football right from eight years of age. In the beginning, he used to participate in small tournaments held at Singjamei Oinam Thingel ground.

In an interview, the veteran player remembered that he was often adjudged as the best player in the sports events during childhood. Initially, he had played for the erstwhile 'Eikhoigi Club' established by Akoijam Achoubi, and his contemporary players were Khangembam Joy, Haobam Abung, Gopal, Kuber, Jugindro, Iboton etc. M. Kunjabi said, "Ningthoujam Tamo Brajamani who was a best friend of Tamo Akoijam Achoubi imparted training on basic skills of football in our club". Due to an altercation on the decision of the referee, there were some disagreements in the club, which led to the formation of Southern Sporting Union (SSU) in 1960.

By 1959/60, Kunjabi along with Khangembam Joy and Haobam Abung began to play for NACO Club. There he met known footballers like Lourembam Shyama, Longjam Tombi, Iboyaima, Oinam Yaiskul, Selungba, Bihari, Pratap and Eigya Radhacharan. Thereafter, he joined the Yaiskul Athletics Club before returning to his own club SSU. Players in the SSU during that time were RK Sanajaoba, Waikhom Pratap, Romesh, Soibam Pishak, Thongam Iboton, Leishangthem Kumar, Th. Jugindro, Nongthombam Gopal, Lsiahram Tomba etc.

Kunjabi also attended the training camp conducted at Imphal under S. Mewalal who taught the systematic team formation, ball control with the chest etc. In the year 1960, Kunjabi who was then 18 years old took part in the Assam Inter District tournament at Dibugarh. The same year, he joined in the Settlement Department as a clerk. According to Kunjabi, he was very exited in getting employment as he could afford the expenses for sports.

Along with Longjam Tombi, Adim Kabui, S. Ajit, Lourembam Shyama, Ranganath, Krishnakumar, Sougaijam Somorjit, Haobam Abung, Khangembam Joy, Leihaothabam Inaocha Sharma and Kumar, Moirangthem Kunjabi participated in Assam Inter District Tournament at Silchar in 1962 when Manipur team could reach upto the semi finals. During his football career from 1959 to 1963, Kunjabi got Manipur selection for four times. However, unluckily he was compelled to leave the games due to a leg injury during a football match between SSU and NACO in 1963. In that unfortunate moment, he had a collision with Longjam Tombi of NACO.

The sporting spirit imbibed in this veteran player did not go in vain, as he came to the Hockey field in 1964 again. While in the Settlement Department, he started joining Hockey matches. During his Hockey career, he had the opportunity to play under Manipur Secretariat Services Eleven on two occasions – one at Imphal and the other in Delhi.

Players during the Delhi tournament in 1965 included RK Amubisana, Chura, Bijoy, Kaminikumar, Basudeva, Ibotombi, Tombi, O Yaiskul, Modhu (Kwakeithel), Ibotombi (Yaiskul) and a muslim. By 1966, he left service from the Settlement Department to continue his studies and passed the BA examination in 1967.

Besides being the chairman of football selection committee, M. Kunjabi became the Vice President of All Manipur Football Association during the presidentship of Yumkham Irabot (MLA). He also served as the team coach of SSU which turned out runners up in CC Meet for the first time in 1985 at the hands of BSF Jalandhar.

SSU again became runners up in the CC meet in 1986, while Manipur Police club lifted the title. While Kunjabi was acting as President of SSU club, his team grasped the champions title in CC Meet for four years – in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 respectively. The veteran player is still working for football development in Manipur.

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