Yet another medal and pride for Manipur
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 06, 2021 -

Shanglakpam Nilakanta Sharma :: Manipur Olympics Dreams 2020 Tokyo (Hockey) :: Pix Courtesy - Shanglakpam Nilakanta

THE Indian men's team missing the top podium finish at the Tokyo Olympic Cames-2020 wouldn't matter much as securing the bronze medal after the hard-fought 5-4 victory over strong German side in the third-place playoff showcased the grit anddetermination of the players to break the 40 years of medal drought in hockey, which is the national game.

Even more heartening is that Manipur's Nilakanta Sharma has been the mainstay of the Indian team and he became the second player from the state to bag a medal in the Tokyo games after Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.

The story doesn't end with the men's team as there is yet another player from the state P Sushila Chanu in the women's hockey contingent which will lock horns with Great Britain for the bronze medal match on Friday.

Sushila became a legendary figure of sort when she led the national hockey team in the Rio Olympics.

If the women's team also tastes success then Manipur will be creating a history of sort as three out of five players who made it to the Tokyo edition of the Olympics would be medal winners.

It is also worth remembering that legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was denied the chance to advance to the medal bout under controversial circumstances.

Thus, overall performance of the Manipuri sportspersons at the on-going Games has not only been commendable and enviable but also enlivening the spirit of the people who have been struggling to overcome the Covid-19 scourge for the past many months.

Moreover, by bagging the bronze medal after decades of failure to perform in the Olympics it is now certain that the national game of hockey would gain popularity in India, where the sports scenario is being dominated by cricket.

Importance and reverence of hockey in India could be gauged from the fact that the National Sports Day is observed on the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

Even if the national game of India is not as popular as football in the state one cannot forget P Nilakomol, Ksh Thoiba and K Chinglensana to name a few household names, who sustained the popularity of hockey through their outstanding performances at the top level.

Regardless of their humble upbringing, excellence of Manipur's sportspersons in their respective disciplines has been the primary reason for the state to be considered as the powerhouse of sports in India and continuous contribution to the sports movement of the country.

While the country with the second largest population in the world struggles to produce world class sportspersons in many other disciplines, Manipuri sportspersons donning the national colours in successive Olympics for the past many years underscore their determination and combative characteristics to overcome life's obstacles.

In-spite of being geographically small in size, Manipur ceaselessly rolling out players of repute and their achievements have been bewildering many who perceive the state as a region eternally embroiled in socio-political chaos, drugs and insurgency.

There are endless tales of struggles of state's sportspersons in their early lives but achievements of contemporary Manipuri sportspersons prove that they are not to be overawed by anybody.