Manipur has become a model for other states in sports
Manipur has produces nearly 10,000 national and international players since the last 27 years
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 20, 2012:
By producing nearly 10,000 successful national and international sportspersons in the last 27 years, Manipur has become a model for other states of India in the field of games and sports.
Even though, Manipur is a small state with a small population of around 30 lakhs, the state has successfully produced many sportspersons who excel in their respective fields outshining their rivals in various national and international events.
By instituting associations for almost all kinds of sporting events, the state is advancing in the international arena with tough and promising players.
The indigenous game of Polo which originated from the state is world famous.
Beside this, there are many famous traditional games of the state which are still fondly played by today's generations and which tells us that Manipur is indeed a sports enthusiast s'state.
However, the present boom in sports in the state is credited to the 5th National Games which was held in the state.
The infrastructures developed for organising the 5th National Games helped the promising players of Manipur to excel in the international arena.
Many of the renowned players of the state have been honoured with many prestigious awards.
With increasing numbers of promising players showing their talents in the national and international arenas every year, the state has indeed earned the fame of being a production house of promising sportspersons of India.
According to the official record of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Manipur has so far produced 9562 players including 1647 international players and 9562 national players during 1984 and 2009.In 1984 itself, Manipur produced seven international players and 76 national players.
In the next year, the state produced 24 international and 97 national players with a total of 121 players.
Continuing this figures, Manipur produced a record number of 1006 players including 149 international and 857 national players which became the highest ever players production of the state.
Even though there is no exact record of the total numbers of players produced in 2010, the year witnessed many players from the state winning fame in numerous national and international arenas.
Manipur has so far produced nine Olympians, nine Arjuna Awardees, one Dronacharya Awardee and one Dhyanchand Lifetime Achievement Award 2010 which was conferred to Weightlifting Coach L Anita Chanu.
Dronacharya Award, the highest award of the country awarded to successful coaches was conferred to renown Boxing Coach Leishangthem Ibomcha last year recognising his contribution to the Indian team as a coach.
Besides these, there are numerous players from the state who have won the Padmashree Award.
The fames and laurels brought by the players from the state for the country and the state are the dedicated will and courage of the state players.
It has always remained a question for other states of the country how the small under-developed state of Manipur managed to produce numerous numbers of successful sportspersons.
There were even incidents of other states' sports department asking Manipur if it has a separate sports policy of its own.
With the history of a series of power production of successful sportspersons in the past decades in national and international arenas, many young, emerging and promising players of the state are eyeing success in different games.
The installation of artificial turf at the RAU ground with direct funding by the International football governing body FIFA is because of the rich history.
Moreover, a National Sports Academy is also instituted at Khuman Lampak which provide world class training in six events with an aim to produce more olympians from the state as well as the country.
In just a short span of four years, the academy has also produced scores of successful national players so far.
Comment
