Rajkumar Manisana : Captain of First State Team in National Hockey Championship in 1976

Seram Neken *

‘ON THE GOLDEN FOOTPRINTS’ reproduces here the sports profile of veteran player RK Manisana from Ratneshwori Goswami’s Akao Parei Chankhrabasing published in the Hueiyen Lanpao (Manipuri)....

Rajkumar Manisana was the first Hockey player among the Manipuris who joined service in the Food Corporation of India. The known player of COSMO club since its very affiliation, Manisana served as the captain of the Manipur team in its first ever participation in the National Championship in 1976. Son of RK Tomalsana and Konthoujam Ningol Ibotombi Devi of Wangkhei Thangjam Leikai Imphal, RK Manisana was born on 26 March 1949. Of the ten children, he is the fourth child of the family. His elder brothers – RK Sanahal, RK Sanatomba and RK Joysana were ardent Hockey players. Manisana also took on football as a junior player of COSMO and played upto the senior ‘B’ of the club.

Since the very year COSMO got affiliation to AMSA in 1967, he had been playing Hockey in the centre forward position. Out of 11 players of COSMO, four including Manisana belonged to his family. In the Assam Inter District tournament at Dibugarh in 1969, Centre Forward player RK manisana was in the Manipur Eleven team along with G. Dwijamani Sharma (left In), Y. Madneshore Roy (Goal Keeper), Khwairakpam Joy (back), Amupishak (left half), Waribam Kamini (Centre half), Laishram Ibochou (left half), Wangkheimayum Nilamani (Right In), Wangkheimayum Chura (Right Out), Ng. Jugindrokumar (left out) and S. Iboyaima (left half). In the last Assam Inter District tournament for Manipur state, Assam Police defeated the Manipur team by 2-1 goals in the final.

In 1968-69, he participated in the Inter Office Hockey tournaments on behalf of Veterinary Department on contract basis on payment of Rs. 60/-, which was later increased to Rs. 120/-. Manipur State Transport (MST) team was an excellent team in the Inter Office tournaments. There was once an occasion when Manisana along with Dwijamani and Madneshore joined the PWD team leaving the Veterinary department team, for which they were suspended for one year.

According to the veteran player, inter school tournaments were well conducted during their days. While studying at the Meitei Mayek School Kongba, they used to practice at the Kongba Dhobi Lampak. During the pre-statehood days, Manipuri players had to participate in the Assam Inter District, so as to be able to play at national level under Assam team.

On 25 March 1972, COSMO had to face ESU at the last match of the State League Round. RK Manisana who played for the COSMO team said that ESU was a popular team which had been champions since 1954. COSMO team was in fact a bifurcation from the ESU team and it was supposed to be weaker than the later. However, a solitary goal scored by RM Manisana at the last 20 minute of the hectic match brought champions title for the COSMO team in the League Round. It was the happiest moment in his life. The players of the ESU team included Indramani (goal keeper), Khwairakpam Bijoy, RK Amubisana, Yumlembam Raja, Wangkheimayum Chura, Keisham Meino, RK Brojen, Oinam Rajbihari, Amupishak and M. Premchand. The players in COSMO team were Ksh. Indrajit, S. Iboyaima, RK Sanatomba, K. Iboton, L. Ibotomba, H. Biren, G. Dwijamani Sharma, RK Joysana, and RK Manisana.

Narrating the development of Hockey in Manipur during 1970s, Manisana recollected that the erstwhile playfield located at the present site of BT Park served as a convenient playground for holding Police Meets, All India Civil Services Meets and Local Leagues for boys and girls. The 13th All India Civil Services Hockey tournament was held from 27 December 1972 to 2nd January 1973. Manipur finished in the third position by defeating Andhra Pradesh by 4-0 goals. Those who participated in Manipur civil service team were Kumar (goal keeper), Ng. Jugindrokumar (back), Khwairakpam Bijoy (Back), Th Suni (Right In), Oinam Rajbihari (Half), Gunindro (Centre Half), RK Brojendro (Right Out), W. Nilamani (left In), S. Lokeshwar (Right In), S. Iboyaima and RK Manisana (Centre forward).

He joined in Manipur Police department as Havildar in 1974. In the 24th East Zone police Meet held at Imphal in November 1974, RK Manisana demonstrated excellent performance and his team earned champions title. Those in the Police team along with him were L. Achou, Kumar, RK Joysana, W. Tombisana, RK Sanayaima, Surjakumar, Moirangthem Shanti, Punyaban and L. Janen. Later in 1975 Police meet at Dergaon, Manipur Police grasped the Runners up title.

It may be recalled that Manipur state team after getting direct affiliation participated for the first time in the National Hockey championship held at Cuttack in 1976. RK Manisana served as the team captain of the state team. He also took part in Beighton Cup tournaments for 3-4 times. In 1974, when he was playing at Mohun Bagan ground, PK Mitra lured by his good performance personally came to contact Manisana.

As a Centre Forward player, Manisana took part in 41st Senior National Hockey Championship in Madras in 1977. Team Managers for the state team were S. Lokeswar and Maniroton. In a Hockey match held in Orissa on 13 February 1977, Manipur team defeated the rival by 3-0 goals, 2 of which were scored by Manisana. As he remembered, Oja Lokeshwar bought the players one Hockey stick each at rupees thirty.

By 1977, Manisana joined the Food Corporation of India leaving the police job. He was the first hockey player of Manipur to join service at the FCI. In December of the same year, he went to participate in FCI tournaments as an East Zone player of FCI. He demonstrated excellent performance at the All India FCI Inter Zonal tournament in Baroda in December 1978. While he was in the FCI East Zone team, his team could grasp champions title for ten years- 1978-1988.

Following his satisfactory performance, the FCI began to take interest in Manipur players. Accordingly, he instigated a number of players in the FCI. Those who later joined the FCI as Manipur player are Phanjoubam Bhisma (1981), M. Kullajit (1983), Ch. Ruhinikumar (1984), Jiban and Phalguni (1986), Gyaneshori (1987), Sanatomba, Ksh. Romesh and Ranjit (1988).

According to veteran player RK Manisana, Manipur is the only state in the north east India which has been promoting Hockey. East Zone Hockey team of FCI has been dominated by Manipuri players. FCI team retained the champions of Bengal League for three years during 1989-1993.

RK Manisana who acted as player, team captain and team manager in his sporting career suggested to revive the six-a-side hockey tournaments to help improve the skills among the young players. He expressed the necessity for organizing regular tournaments at local levels. The most shocking moment in his life was the death of his son RK Jasobanta during a trial camp at the national stadium in Delhi in 2002. Son of a Hockey player and lover, Jasobanta had participated in the First Independent Gold Cup in Delhi in 1998-99 as a under-14 player. In 2000, he took part in the Asian Hockey Federation Gold Cup in Singapore in under-16 category.

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