Rejoicing Sports in association with the Yaoshang festival in Manipur

Mustaque Ahmed *

Sports Event as part of Yaoshang festival at Bamon Leikai, Imphal on 16th March 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

The joyfulness of Yaoshang festival may last long than the usual five days of celebration. What is not feeling good in the mind is the ending of Yaoshang sports very soon. Manipur became a land of sports. This is no wonder since Manipur gave the world the game of Polo. It is believed that men used to play wrestling in the ancient time.

Manipur produced the world class players. To name some of them are Nilkamal Singh, Thoiba Singh, Kunjarani Devi, Mary Kom, etc. Sports are so successful of this state that the Manipur state is known as the Power House of Sports. This has not come in a day. Lot of hardwork, preparation, sporting spirit and confidence has brought many laurels to the state.

Success in the field of sports has given Manipur an opportunity to turn the Yaoshang festival a rejoicing sports extravaganza. Yaoshang being a festival of Manipuri Hindus/Meeteis/Meiteis is known as Holi (means burning) in other parts of India. The festival marks the triumph of good over evil and it is a colorful festival.

The festival is associated with singing, drumming and dancing. Young and old alike celebrate the festival with a great zeal and lot of enthusiasm. The youths are very much fond of moon-light dance. Onset of Yaoshang sports also heralds the onset of this festival. The two is so inseparable.

The festival turning out to be a big sporting event is a good sign of sports loving people. Mass is taking part in the sports held in the localities/villages of Manipur. One public festival associated with the sports may be rare in the world.

Sports came into existence in the lands of Greece. The modern Olympics started by Greeks in 776. BC. Ancient sporting items were hunting and training for wars only. But the first Olympic events recorded disk and javelin throw, jumping, human and chariot races, wrestling, etc.

Yaoshang sports include all kinds of sporting items as marathon race, football, co – fighting, brisk walking, boxing, traditional wrestling, blind hit (chaphu thugaibi), spelling contest, etc. Most interesting and entertaining items are said to be choosing blindfolded husbands by their wives, mouth watering cooking competition of young wives, walking competition of women, blind hit etc.

The people inculcates the value of health and sports during Yaoshang festival. This is just a way of nurturing sports indicates that the people here are lover of sports. This is the value people give themselves and allowed others to set an example of encouragement, confidence in the field of sports.

These days there is lot of encouragement from the central and the state government side for the winners of sports. Encouragement is in the form of offering suitable jobs, cash incentives, etc. Modern sports require correction of its quality by not using drugs. Otherwise the medium of sports imbibes the value of discipline, integrity, harmony, etc.

We are more than a billion populations in the world. In the field of sports any one can learn lessons from USA, China, Great Britain, etc. Manipur is a tiny state from the north east India making pride of the nation. If possible other festivals in Manipur can be converted to sports festival for the sake of development and peace. If we don't develop ourselves others will not develop us.

Successfully the state hosted the National games in 1999. Significantly it had brought the Khuman Lampak Stadium, swimming pools, indoor stadiums, etc. Scatters of small sporting fields are here and there. The introduction of some modern equipment, stadiums and sports academy is highly needed to develop sports at its peak point.

These should be located in every district at every appropriate places. Sportsman and women here want Polo, Kho Kho, Fencing, Archery, Cycling, Badminton, Kabbadi, Hockey, Football, Volley ball, rowing, etc. These items need proper space and the interest of sportsperson needs protection. Interest for sports need to be developed from childhood.

Prospects of sports will spread with the proficiency of sports. The prizes Manipuri's got in national and international events proved that people of this state have proficiency of sports.