If I die, bury me with a football: N Ramananda
Source: Chronicle News Service / Niranjan Oinam

Imphal, February 18 2024: Once a passionate player who proudly represented Manipur and India in the Asian Football Championship despite poor family conditions, Ramananda Ningthoujam can no longer play his favourite sport to full strength after both his kidneys began to fail.

While hoping to live longer, Ramananda, however, expressed his only wish that if he were to ever die, he be buried with a football, if possible, in a playground.

He also placed this fervent wish as his Facebook bio, stating 'If I Die, Bury Me with a Football into a Ground' .

Ramananda (27) is the son of Ningthoujam Naba and Nungshitombi of Moirang Ngangkhalawai Awang Leikai, Bishnupur district.

The eldest of five siblings, he loved playing football from a young age and followed the senior players in his locality to watch matches.

He cleaned the boots and kits of the players.

Unable to own a ball, he stuffed clothes inside a sock to make it into a sphere and play with it, or either used a pomelo (nobap) as a ball.

He broke/fractured his leg several times but continued to work hard to play a real football, including waking up at 3.30 am every day, preparing the toothpaste and water for a local who had a football, sweeping the courtyard, taking the cattle out for grazing, tending to other requests of the local and then bringing back the cattle to the shed at 4pm.His food for the entire day consisted of wild fruits or vegetables he found along the way.

Satisfied, the local would then "lend" the ball to Ramananda to play for a short while, which delighted the future national-level football player immensely.

In an exclusive interview with The People's Chronicle, Ramananda narrated that while his father was a rickshaw puller and his mother bedridden; he also took on the responsibility of the family as the eldest son.

He drove a rickshaw while studying at the same so as to keep the fire in the kitchen burning.

Although he was passionate about football, the family conditions and paucity of money to buy football kits often left him wondering whether he would be able to realise his dream.

Nonetheless, Ramananda had steely resolve to face any challenges and started saving the money he earned through sale of vegetables he "stole" during Durga puja and via match betting of Rs 1/2 with football team from another locality, in a piggy-bank made out of bamboo.

Instead of buying jeans during Yaoshang festival like his friends, he bought a track-suit related to football.

Ramananda then went on to learn more about the world's greatest sport from his first teacher, Laimayum Sanjitkumar Sharma of Moirang Ngangkhalawai Mayai Leikai, who played for Sports Authority of India (SAI), Utlou when the latter returned home for the holidays.

Regardless of the hot summer or the cold winter, he would wake up early in the morning every day and run to the nearby hill.

The vegetables he collected from the hills would then be food for the family.

After taking a quick shower and finishing household chores, he would tend to needs of his teacher similar to that of the local elder and clean the shrine of the family.

Impressed by the young boy's passion and dedication, Sanjitkumar gave him proper guidance.

Afterwards, he underwent a two-year long training at Balananda Football Acade my in Nachou where while his fellow trainees cooked food with gas or charcoal, he collect wood and bamboo scraps from nearby to prepare his meal.

The other trainees' diet consisted of eggs, milk, bananas, etc., while his was made of vegetables including pennywort (peruk).

Despite this, he trained harder than the others.

His efforts finally paid off when he was selected to represent Manipur in the U-12 national championship in 2013 with his performance catching the attention of All India Football Federation which selected five from Manipur for further training.

He was then selected to play in U-13 and went on to win glory for Manipur, despite an injury to his foot.

After the final match, he was rushed to the hospital.

He then returned happily to Manipur with gifts for his teacher, family, friends and his girlfriend at the time.

Unfortunately, his girlfriend had eloped with another guy.

This left him severely depressed and he could not return home, spending nights on the roads for six months.

However, this heartbreak took a turn for the better when he w'ent to attend the funeral of a friend's mother and his mentor Sanjitkumar called him at night, asking if he had finished making preparations to play for U-14 the next day.

Ramananda honestly informed his teacher he was not aware of the match, inviting a fierce scolding from the latter.

Ramananda then went to his mentor's house and narrated the entire story.

As he (Ramananda) was penniless at that time, Sanjitkumar and his friends Shyamkumar Moirangthem, Gulson Moirangthem, Ibungo Moirangthem, Ken Thoudam and Boicha pooled around Rs 750 in the middle of the night and sent him to play for the U-14 the next day.

Subsequently, he went on to represent Manipur in under 16, 17, 18 and 19 tournaments.

In 2014, he represented India for the first time in the Asian Football Championship and went on to play his ware in football clubs of various states including prominent clubs of Manipur.

He then met his second teacher-Neroca FC star player Subash Singam and the meeting helped upgrade his playing skills significantly.

However, tragedy struck when he was diagnosed with kidney ailment in 2020.Despite this, he went to practice football at the local ground at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and often had to flee from police.

He and his teacher Subash then went to a secret hill in Sunusiphai.

One day, after returning from practice, he developed insomnia, was unable to eat and started yomiting uncontrollably.

Suspecting an upset stomach, the practice was suspended for 15/17 days.

When he resumed practice, he lost vision in the left eye and his limbs began to swell.

His health deteriorated by June/July of 2020 and was taken to Moirang Hospital for treatment.

The doctor advised him to a better-equipped hospital and discharged him after five days, Unfortunately, he could not avail treatment for over 20 days due to non-admittance of patients in RIMS & JNIMS due to the pandemic.

By then, he lost vision in both eyes and could barely speak.

Unable to see him further deteriorate, his teachers Sanjitkumar Sharma and Subash Singam along with Shyamkumar took the risk to take him to JNIMS.

After testing negative for Covid, he was admitted and advised to get an ultrasound for his whole abdomen from Babina Diagnostics.

With no money for the ambulance, they took an auto to the diagnostic centre but the ultrasound consultant was not present, leaving all of them frustrated.

The staff took pity and advised them to Sangai Diagnostics where they would be provided with the results immediately.

At Sangai Diagnostics, the ultrasound technician scolded them for the present state of his condition.

Later, he was then brought back to JNIMS where Dr Rajesh Waikhom transfused him with eight units of blood, allowing him to speak some words.

When he could speak and seeing that his caretaker had left to buy medicines, he pleaded to the doctor to tell him what was wrong with him.

The doctor responded that both of his (Ramananda) kidneys had failed.

He then asked the doctor whether he would be able to play football again, but the doctor did not respond.

Later, after undergoing two months of dialysis at JNIMS, he was referred to Raj Medicity where he met Income Tax Commissioner Banita Naorem posted at Kolkata, who told him to come to Delhi and assured to fund all his medical expenses.

Commissioner Banita used to treat him (Ramananda) well when he played in Kolkata.

The matter went viral and the CM of Manipur contacted him.

He informed the CM that Shija Hospital, which happened to be the only hospital in Manipur with kidney transplantation facilities, refused admittance due to Covid and as such, he was preparing to go to Delhi for treatment.

The CM immediately called up Shija Hospital MD Dr Palin and established a call conference, following which he was admitted to Shija the next day.

Ramananda then underwent treatment at the Shija 1CU under Dr Guliver and Dr Somendro.

Despite losing vision in both his eyes, he borrowed the nurse's phone to follow commentaries on football matches, which, somewhat caused an issue at the time.

Many people from old to young came forward to help him, with some kids even breaking their piggy banks or selling off their musical instruments to help him.

Ramananda continued that many offered to donate their kidney but he refused.

Later, his girlfriend pressured him and he relented.

As such, he married his now wife Soibam Wangleima of Uripok Polem Leikai on June 24, 2021 .

The doctor set the date for kidney transplant the same year but he did not have any money.

As such, he visited Singjamei 360 two days before the transplant, and was able to receive around Rs 6 lakh in donations, allowing him to undergo the operation on December 15 the same year.

Thus, he expressed his deepest gratitude to Singjamei 360 and the people of Manipur.

As the doctor advised against playing football, he decided to become a coach and appeared for the relevant coach exam conducted by All India Football Federation.

He was certified as an E licence holder in February, 2023 and received D licence in October 2023, with Shija Hospital and Babina Diagnostics respectively felicitating him.

Ramananda then said he will work hard to appear for the C, B and A coach exams to become A-level (pro) coach.

At present, he has been offered the coach position at Classic Football Academy and technical director at Balananda Football Academy.

Just as he was provided with support in the early days, he has provided football coaching and training to many kids, in addition to providing kits to many need kids by selling his own medicines.

Ramananda then said that his favourite footballer player is Portugal star Ronaldo, affectionately calling him as 'Tachou' .

He often messages Ronaldo on social media platform, asking 'Tachou Chak Charabo' (Brother, have you eaten?).

If Ronaldo ever replies back, it would be the happiest day of his life, and he would likely frame the message, or tattoo the message on his entire body.

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