Ukhrul was once a powerhouse of Manipur football
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Ratneshwori Goshwami

Imphal, March 26, 2013: Any discussion on the origin of Manipuri Football would be incomplete if we neglect the role played by football players hailing from Ukhrul.

In the 1952 Manipur Football team, which lifted the Independence Cup at Nagaon, only two players were Meeteis.

Eight of the players in the victorious Manipuri team were Tangkhul.

They were Yangkhahao Phareng, Aboi, Romeo, Baorei, Shangam, Shenkhao, Lungshim Shaiza and Mangjakaini.

The two Meeteis were S Dhiren and N Brajamani Singh.

In such a situation, emergence of Aleng Shimrah as one of the prominent players of Manipuri football during the sixties from Ukhrul district was not unexpected.

Recalling the days of playing football to Hueiyen Lanpao, the stalwart from Ukhrul, who later became the coach of the state team, Deputy Director and rose to the rank of Joint Director, remarked that Ukhrul was once the power-house of Manipuri football.

While mentioning his place of birth as Tangrei (Church road, Ukhrul), Aleng Shimrah expressed amazement at the availability of scores of talent in the Forties in a place like Ukhrul, where not even a single proper football ground was available.

Born to a farming family of N G Shimrah and P Shimrah, Aleng Shimrah is one among the siblings of six brothers and three sisters.

Recounting how he started playing football with nostalgia, Aleng Shimrah said he used to live in the vicinity of Yangmaso Shaiza, ex-Chief Minister of Manipur and Lungshim Shaiza.

"When we saw them playing football for the first time, they were playing with a rubber ball.

We used to watch them playing from a distance.

The Shaizas are from well-to-do families unlike my humble family background.

My parents never encouraged me to play despite my liking for football.

They rather wanted me to study and become a teacher", Aleng Shimrah said, adding that the football that he and his friends had played with was a made from contraction of his mother's cloths, tightened and filled with a fishing net used in the hills.

"Such an improvisation, if properly done can last even for three days, he said.

His love for football was such that Aleng Shimrah used to wonder when he would get to visit Imphal when his seniors told stories about playing football with real ball made of leather in big fields in Imphal.

"We used to rejoice listening to stories of football like songs and movies.

I nursed a desire to go to Imphal every time I saw Imphal from the Mahadev Peak of Ukhrul", he said, with a touch of poignant nostalgia.

"I studied up to Class -X at Ukhrul Govt.High School.

I continued my studies at DM College in Science stream.

During my student days at DM College, I created records in High Jump, Hop, Step and Jump and Discuss Throw.

Around 1968, Ukhrul defeated former champion CC High School in the School Meet.

As we lacked the facilities of a proper ground in Ukhrul, I was so elated to see the lush green of Mapal Kangjeibung (Pologround) for the first time.

I used to practice football for hours together there.

Our senior players, Yengkhahao (Drum), Shangam, Phareng, Baorei, Romeo were already familiar with the ground.

Yengkhahao was given the nick-name of Drum by the Meeteis.

He was given the nickname because of his powerful kicks.

I used to witness many of his kicks landing in the Fire Brigade pond which is located beyond the Pologround.

One Meetei football player, comparable to the footballing talent of Ukhrul was Naba of Kwakeithel.

He was recognized as 'Golden Boy' in Assam by that time", Aleng Shimrah recalled.

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