Asian medallist Manorama accorded warm welcome
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 18 2013: State cyclist Tongbram Manorama who won silver and bronze medals in the recently concluded 33rd Senior and 20th Junior Hero Asian Cycling Championships 2013, New Delhi got a rousing welcome at the Tulihal airport from her home crowd after her success in the championships.

Manorama, who won medals and brought laurels and fame to the country as well as the state is now eyeing an Olympic medal as her next target.

As soon as she arrived here at the Tulihal Airport, locals of Patsoi Part 2 and sportspersons gave her a warm welcome with drums and pipe bands.

She was recieved by the well-wishers with garlands in their hands.

From the airport, she was taken at different places of Imphal area with loud cheers.

Meira Paibis, local club members and people of many localities greeted her with loud cheers and claps.

Mention may be made that it was Manorama who mesmerised the Indian fans at the IG stadium's velodrome with her a resolute run in the last 50 metres in the eight-lap long Keirin race

Asian medallist cyclist Tongbram Manorama being accorded a warm welcome by her homecrowd

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The 16-year-old cyclist rallied from the fifth spot to achieve her second podium finish in the event.

Manorama fell short by just 0.131 seconds to Yu Shiou Cheng of Chinese Taipei, who won the gold, while the bronze went to Korea's Yeonhee Jang.

Earlier, Deborah and Manorama clinched the bronze in the junior women's Team Sprint at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Velodrome.

The two girls came home just 0.148 seconds ahead of Malaysia's Faihah Shahwati Mohd Adnan and Nurul Alissa Mohamad Azman.

The 17-year-old cyclist is the youngest of five siblings of Tongbram Tomba and Tongbram ongbi Memcha from Patsoi Part 2.She is reading in class XII at the Presidency College Motbung.

He eldest sister, who is the sole breadearner besides their old mother exclaimed that she felt sorry for Manorama missing her class XII examinations due to the championships.

At the same time, she also felt happy that her sister won two medals in the championships.

Manorama's father, 70, is bed-ridden with paralysis since the last10 years and her mother is a daily wage labourer who earn thei bread by working in a nearby brickfield.

Her father told Hueiyen Lanpao that his happiness knew no bound when he heard of her daughter winning medals in the Asian Championships.

He furher said that he did not know how and when tears came rolling down from his eyes when he heard of the news of her daughter's victory.

He was waiting with a high spirit for her daughter's return while seated on a chair at the porch of his house.

Cyclist Manorama told Hueiyen Lanpao that she felt very happy in winning medals in the championships.

She now felt that all her hard works has begun to bear fruits, she exclaimed.

While giving the credit of her victoy to the guidance of her coaches and supports of her family members, she thanked her coaches Chandrajit Sharma, Oinam Basanta and Ibomcha.