Imphal, December 05: Even as Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Govindas Kon-thoujam today appealed to the Committee for Implementation of People's Decision on Santosh Trophy to review its decision to suspend all National level sports meet and not to send any State contingent to any such meet, sporting activities came to a grinding halt today, with the first casualty being the All India Inter-University Football (W) Tournament being put on hold.

The ongoing CC Meet Football Championship has also been suspended indefinitely and a meeting of all the Managers of the teams participating in the meet will be held on December 9 at 1 pm at the office of All Manipur Football Association to discuss further action.

The Committee gave the call not to participate in any National level sports meet for one month to decry the wrong decision of the referee during the quarter final match between Goa and Manipur in the just concluded Santosh Trophy championship.

Simultaneously, responding to the call of the Committee, numerous sports bodies have decided not to send their contingent to numerous National sports meet for this month.

The All India Inter-University Football (W) Tournament was supposed to kick start at the University Football Ground, Manipur University today.

Though the inaugural function was held with YAS Minister Govindas Konthoujam as the chief guest and Dean, School of Sciences, MU Prof C Amuba as the president, the tournament did not kick off as in response to the call given by the Committee. The closing function of the tournament was supposed to be held on December 14 with MU VC Prof N Bijoy Singh as chief guest and Dean of Students' Welfare, MU Prof W Nabakumar as the president.

Manipur Olympic Association president E Binoy was supposed to be the guest of honour.

Meanwhile a number of sports bodies have decided not to send their squad to numerous National and International sports meet scheduled to be held this month at different places.

The sports meet include World Wushu Championship at Hanoi (from December 7 to 15); U-17 National School Games at Andaman and Nicobar Island; U-19 National School Volleyball Tournament at Rajasthan (Dec 19 to 24); 32nd National Volleyball Championship at Karnataka (Dec 24 to 30); 20th Black belt, 22nd Men Colour Belt, 20th Sr National Female Taekwondo Championship at Lucknow (December 16 to 18); 5th Senior East and North East Volleyball Championship at Assam (December 14 to 18); 3rd National Touch Rugby at Delhi (December 25 to 27); Squash Board Competition at Canada (December 23 to 30); 28th National Archery Championship at Jharkhand (Dec 26); 8th Sub Jr National Sepak Takraw at Orissa (December 15 to 18) and 59th National Aquatic at Kerala (December 13 to 18).Taken aback by the decision of the Committee for Implementation of People's Decision on Santosh Trophy not to participate in any National sports meet for a month until the injustice in the Santosh Trophy is corrected, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Govindas Konthoujam has appealed to the Committee to review its decision.

Speaking to newsmen at his office chamber today evening, the Minister said that despite its limitations and small size, Manipur has been able to excel in the field of sports at all level.

Sportspersons have not only been bringing glory to the State but have also been helping their families financially, said Govindas.

Given this circumstances, it would be in the fitness of things for the Committee to suspend all sporting activities for one month, said the Minister and appealed to the con-cer-ned to review its decision.

The decision to set up a National Sports Academy at Manipur and being one of the two places in India to be chosen to set up the Vision India Pilot under the Asian Football Confederation are enough indications of the status that Manipur enjoys as a sports power house in India, he said and added that this also shows that Asia recognises the immense potential of the sportspersons of Manipur.

Moreover a team from Beijing is set to arrive at Manipur for Taekwondo training, informed the Minister and added that such a decision as to suspend all sporting activities for one month will deal a blow on the morale of the budding sportspersons.

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