State to host tri-nation tourney amid mess in AMFA
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 08, 2023 -

NEEDLESS to say, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) wouldn't have chosen Manipur to host the Tri-Nation FIFA Friendly Football Tournament had there been no improvement in the law and order situation. About a decade back when shootouts and bomb explosions, not to mention of agitations happening on a daily affair, no sane person would have imagined that football matches or any sports events would be played after dusk in the state.

As such, regular conduct of I-League matches under the floodlights at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium testifies the dramatic changes Manipur has undergone in recent years.

No doubt, even during the height of insurgency movement, regional and a handful of national level sports events were held in the state but the national sports federations always overlooked Manipur when the country played hosts to tournaments or championships of international stature as the state was considered a forbidden land due to consistent restive situation.

However, Manipuri sportspersons remained resilient, focussed on their daily training rigours and eventually overcame all obstacles to earn the state the enviable tag as the powerhouse of sports in India.

Manipur has been regularly producing sportspersons of international repute, but football remains one of the most popular sports.

Apart from hundreds of players plying their trade with top football clubs of the country there are abundant talents still available all capable of securing lucrative contracts with clubs playing in the prestigious Indian Soccer League or Indian League football competitions.

Along with the state hosting the prestigious Santosh Trophy national football championship some two decades back, group round matches of 131st Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament were also played here in August last.

Both the competitions, though held decades apart, drew impressive number of spectators thereby indicating that Manipuris are ardent supporters of football.

When it comes to sports, one can't ignore the fact that sportspersons of Manipur, which has roughly about 29 lakh populations, have been competing and excelling in Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games for the last many years.

In acknowledgement of potential of Manipuri sportspersons, the Union government, literally, gifted the National Sports University to the state.

As such, regardless of the disturbing trend of substance abuse among the youngsters, improvement in the law and order situation, availability of standard training facilities and experienced instructors across the state have been able to lessen the threat of spoiling the youngsters' career to a great extent.

It is also heartening to learn that many youths have started to take up sports as a serious profession these days as they are fully convinced that excelling in sports discipline of one's choice could guarantee a secured life and decent income.

Thus, Manipur poised to create sports history by hosting matches of Tri-Nation FIFA Friendly Football Tournament could be attributed to the prevailing stable socio-ethnic situation as well as in acknowledgement of achievements by the state's sportspersons.

Moreover, the upcoming matches involving India's senior men's team with a handful of Manipuri players in the side would help the youngsters to keep away from drugs and explore the opportunities that football or any other sport discipline could provide.

Hosting of the upcoming international matches will also hopefully invigorate the All Manipur Football Association (AMFA), which is currently facing resignation of its executives one after another, to put its house in order failing which popularity of football in the state will eventually wane.