Imphal, August 06: Sports-persons of Manipur have made it clear that if the Naga Students' Federation continue to support the economic blockade imposed by ANSAM, then they will not participate in the North East Sports Festival scheduled to be held at Nagaland next year.

The sportspersons have also pledged to extend all their support to the efforts being taken up to develop NH-53.Taking part in the campaign launched by AMSU, DESAM and MSF against the economic blockade as well as the divisive policies hatched by the Indian Government, a large number of sportspersons staged a sit-in-protest at Khuman Lampak Sports complex today.

About 1500 sportspersons presently being coached by the Department of Youth Affairs as regular students and 500 from SAI took part in the protest demonstration.

The advisor of the coaches body of YAS, L Jugindro minced no words in stating that if the economic blockade imposed by ANSAM and actively supported by NSF does not ease then sportspersons of Manipur will stay away from the North East Sports Festival scheduled to be held at Nagaland in February next year.

The sportspersons of Manipur will not only boycott the sports festival but will also exert due pressure on the authority concerned not to hold the festival at Nagaland but shift it somewhere else, said Jugindro.

Players from Manipur have always put in their best efforts to bring glory to India and Manipur at any field and the imposition of the economic blockade has had a negative impact on the sportspersons, he added.

Not only has the economic blockade thrown their training session into jeopardy but they have also been robbed of their daily diets and supplements, added Jugindro.

The advisor further said that the 1500 regular students undergoing coaching with the YAS will extend their full support and co-operation to the efforts taken up to develop NH-53.He added that the responsibility of developing this route should not be given solely to the BRTF and advocated the participation of the Government.

Recalling the efforts and the co-operation extended by all in building the infrastructure for the V National Games, Jugindro appealed to all not to disturb any activities that are taken up to develop NH-53.

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